Of Gods & Monsters
by Kamiki77
Summary: A Vampire: The Masquerade Chronicle following the complicated adventures of the Kindred of Atlanta.  Mad science, secrets, romance, and intrigue.
1. Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole Part 1

**Setting**: Modern-Day Atlanta

**Disclaimers and Information:** This is a log of our free-form _Vampire: the Masquerade campaign_. It is loosely based on the VtM setting, but please don't point out inaccuracies or try to get all picky with the rules. We play fast and loose with it as this is a text-only, just-for-fun interactive storytelling experience. Lots of cinematics and such. So yes, we don't have character sheets or dice rolling. Also, this is a role-play log, not a novel. So the grammar and flow will not be perfect and the storylines and character arches might be a bit scattered. Our apologies. Also, keep in mind this might not be a shining example of our epitome of writing: these are usually responses given over the course of a few minutes, marginally proofread and posted. So again, unlike a novel theses scenes haven't been re-worked multiple times and edited for content or flow.

One of the characters is very basically modeled off _The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells_, However, the character of Dr. Moreau, including his appearance, backstory, and personality are all original and belong to his creator. All other original characters are property of their respective creators as well. So now that all THAT unpleasantly is out of the way…. we hope you enjoy reading!

You can "subscribe" the logs on Tumblr! Username: vtmatlanta

Working at Moreau Laboratories was many things... tedious was never one of them. Not if one appreciated research work and trial testing. There was almost always one project or another, and people pulled from one to work on a different one, sometimes leaving research half finished, or putting it into an entirely different team. There were many justifications for this of course. All of these were pointed at Dr. Moreau, the egnametic and rarely seen private owner of the company. Moreau personally directed down the various projects, in the form of memos and emails. His reasons for the frequent changing of focus and such was often directed to his desire that "many hands" touch the tests, to make sure that they weren't being personally influenced by anyone. It was unorthodox of course, and conjecture, since he rarely made appearances and never talked about it. He usually did show up for the annual evening Christmas party... and other various parties he would hold throughout the year, but he always refused to talk business at these, and rarely talked to any of the employees directly, mostly just directing the festivities. The research was easily cutting edge though, often extreme with it's trials and testing, and Aubrey did have to wonder if they had violated some ethics laws here and there, though whenever there was an inquiry, Moreau was quick to clear things up and things went back to normal. Still, it was good money, one of the highest paid jobs in the field in Atlanta, and for one of the largest companies. So Dr. Aubrey Lockheart could assume he knew what he was doing, and she was used to it after a few years. Though new employees would often complain about being thrown off by it and finding it so strange compared to previous employers... still they were successful, one would only have to look at their earnings report to tell that, and the benefits were amazing. Aubrey signed yet another non-disclosure form, and various other waivers, she was so used to signing so many of them now it hardly even mattered. What there was to enjoy here though... was science.

She was close. Too close not to know. She had spent the last six weeks gathering data for this trial run and she had no intention of letting some random new lab grunts to walk in tomorrow and get all the credit. Not to mention...she was just too damn curious. She had clocked out at 5, hovered around her desk until the laboratory closed. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter a bit as she hid from the security as they made their final rounds, ducking into the restroom for nearly half an hour before she was convinced they had gone back to their stations. She shuffled down the dimmed halls, stopping by her desk to gather all her paperwork and journals. She gave a huge sigh of relief as she waved her badge by the reader and blinked green. She slipped into the lab and winced as her heels clicked loudly on the tile floor. She slipped her shoes off and continued towards her station, peeking furtively over her shoulder. It was such an adrenaline rush for her; it wasn't often Aubrey Lockheart 'misbehaved.' She shook her self loose, taking a few deep breaths before pulling out her tray of DNA samples and hunkered down at her microscope. Time would have passed quickly, as it often did while Aubrey was working, luckily, the security didn't really do second passes and the cameras really only watched the trafficked areas. Moreau Laboratories had never had any real "incidents" to speak of after hours. Aubrey was completely thrown off when about two hours into her late night, pre-weekend research the lights suddenly came back on. Then behind her she heard a voice, just a few yards back.

"Burning the midnight oil I see? I thought that was my job." the voice said in a tone that made it hard to distinguish jest, or anger. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as the lights came on, expecting some chubby security card to come waddling in, but instead she heard an icy, smooth toned voice from behind her. Startled, she jumped up with a cry, spinning around. It took her a few seconds to dawn who exactly she was looking at, and her eyes grew wide behind her glasses

There was her boss' boss' boss: a face she had seen several times but rarely in person. The owner of the company, Dr. Nicholas Moreau, who was much more handsome in person. He was dressed in his own lab coat of course, but he was immaculately groomed and it was clear that the shirt he wore under the unbuttoned lab coat probably cost more than she made in a week, and she was well paid. His eyes seemed to reflect the florescent lights slightly, as he smirked, but the reason for the smirk was almost impossible to distinguish. "Would you like to explain yourself?" he said in cold tones. "Dr. Moreau!" she exclaimed, hastily finding herself running her hands over her frizzy ponytail and smoothing down the front of her labcoat. He had talked her. Hell, he had asked her a direct question. "I uh..." she stuttered unintelligibly, suddenly seeming to forget why she had risked so much to do this. "ML43596," she finally got out, "it was so near completion, but I was being rotated off the team tomorrow and just wanted to make sure, uh... I had all the data that was necessary to, uh..." she swallowed, forcing herself to make eye contact with him instead of staring at her socked feet on the floor, "Well, I, I mean we, were so close to gathering all the data we needed to present the report."

"Dr... he paused as if in thought before continuing, his lips curving into a smile, "Lockheart isn't it?" _He knows my name_. Yes. With everything that was going on, perhaps losing her job and getting charged with criminal trespassing, that was the first thing that went through her head.

He stepped closer to her, as she would have noticed that he smelled... well really good. "Well I must say, I find it hard to chastises diligence, especially in science. "I was down here to check on ML43596 myself, I usually check up on the research, and oversee the final stages myself, especially when time affords me to do so and I find the research fascinating." he cocked his head a bit. "I was the rotation that you were worried about taking over. Seems we had something in common." he said as his head cocked the other way and he smiled at her, letting her look deep into his eyes, something about which just made her head a little... funny. But as he continued, the nervousness flooded back into her. Of all the toes she could be stepping on...it was the owner of the company. "I'm ... so sorry..." she stuttered out. "I had no idea, I just... I really made a lot of personal progress on this one and was hoping to see it though...oh, I mean, of course... not to say that you shouldn't. Your company and all I mean, I had no idea you were so personally involved... I would have never..." her rambling was (thankfully) cut off as he spoke again.

She didn't know how to respond, because she was too busy just looking at him, her voice falling off. "I'm sorry." she finally got out, forcibly tearing her eyes away as she inexplicably blushed. He sat down and began his own research, as before long he was asking Dr. Lockheart all manner of questions, putting her at ease as he seemed as focused on the science as she was. Though the way he would ask her to do this or that, was more like he'd talk to an assistant, not that she wasn't used to assisting, but this felt more personal. When he caught her smiling... she'd feel a twinge... and then an amplification of whatever emotions she was feeling that night, even as Moreau used one of his twisted gifts, to amplify whatever emotions she was feeling that night, just as he could, in turn if he wished, dull them. Aubrey was happy to help, hovering around Moreau as he got into his research, quick to answer any questions he would have, and quick to fetch anything he asked for. She felt like she was dreaming, or something. It wasn't like her to get twitterpated so easily, but this was, well, pretty much rock star of her world. But, she did seem to calm down once they got into the groove of the research. She actually was impressively intelligent and well spoken once the initial shock wore off - except for the occasional long stare. The night wore on, quicker than Aubrey would have anticipated, yet she would not have felt tired. Not through all the hours of research anyway, then as they were wrapping, both extremely happy with the results, Moreau looked at her and smiled. "Good work Aubrey," was the last thing she remembered before she must have fallen asleep, waking up at home, in her bed, her neck was a little sore and she felt a little week, but she wasn't able to clearly make out how she had made it home. Aubrey rolled over with a grunt as her alarm went off. She reached over to hit the snooze button, hissing through her cheek as a pain her in neck shot up her arm. She rubbed it with her left hand as her right kept looking for the snooze button. Unsuccessfully, but as her hand slipped off the clock, it landed on something unfamiliar. She slipped her hand around the stem was the rose, pulling up and blinking into the sunlight filtering in the room. "What the..."

She found on her night stand a personal check for her time worked, a single rose, and note that had written on it, in one of the most delicate handwritings she had ever seen, "See you Monday Night." A rose? She jerked up in bed suddenly, looking around. This had to be some sort of prank, right? The event of the night before came rushing back to her - meeting Moreau... workning with him. She stared at the enigmatic flower for a few more moments before her eyes finally went back to her bedside table. She pulled out the note and the check from the envelope in a cloud of disbelief. She visibly jumped as her alarm clock went off again, causing her to yelp.

Except, no... it wasn't her alarm. It was her cell phone. She pulled it off the nightstand and gaped as she saw the tme: 2:34 pm?

She swallowed as put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

The call was from her supervisor, informing her of a schedule change, but sounding confused as she did so. Telling her that she would now be working nights, a personal request from Dr. Moreau, who said he could use some further assistance in his quality control work. Her supervisor even had trouble saying it... and there was a twinge of jealousy in her voice as she did. Part of her wanted to show up in the afternoon on Monday just to gloat. To scream it from the rafters, to call everyone she ever practically knew and let them know the good news. But a part of her still wondered if this was all too good to be true, and by the time Monday came around the pessimistic side of her had all but convinced herself that there must have been something else going on. But she showed up right on time, as her new assignment slip from HR read, eager and excited to see Dr. Moreau again. She made sure to present herself a bit more... _professionally_ than before; having spent more time in front of the mirror before work than she probably had since her high school prom. The change in position had also come with a pretty substantial raise. As she had quickly noted when the company had her weekend overnighted the updated paperwork. When she showed up for her shift, just as the latest workers in the company were leaving, the guards looked a bit awkwardly at her as they handed her her new badge, which gave her full clearance at all hours, and a door key, since the doors to outside were usually locked. "Dr. Lockheart," one of them said as he swallowed a lump in his throat, almost as if he was nervous to see her now when before security had been offhanded at best with her, and rude at worst. As she passed his desk and looked back, she'd note that both of the security guards had emails directly from Moreau titled "Concerning Dr. Lockheart." with the highest urgencies on them. Clearly Moreau had shaken some sort of pot, though when she got to her desk, she'd still have an hour or so before he'd show up. Projects that were on the table to be reviewed and completed were in a manilla envelope on her desk. Aubrey was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She slid into her desk, the creepy silence of the office not offering her as much solace as it had on Friday. She slipped the file open and figured he would distract herself by getting right to work. Aubrey must have drifted off, as she had been working, because one moment she was going over file, and then thought she heard something behind her, and the next she was blinking her eyes with a slight pain in her neck, as Moreau slid up beside her and said "Hello Dr. Lockheart." with a smile on his face. "I hope things have been to your satisfaction, my assistant." he nodded and flipped quickly through the file that had been left on her desk, and didn't seem at all upset by her potential loss of work, even as she noted it was close to an hour and a half later than she remembered it being. Moreau looked flush and full of life, his orange tresses framing his face and his eyes as provocative as they had been the night she had met him. She jumped as he came behind her, realizing she might have drifted off. She winced and grasped her neck, standing up as Moreau came around to look at her file. "Good evening Dr Moreau," she said, running her hand though her hair. "I, uh, wanted to tank you so much for all this. I mean, you didn't have to pay me the overtime and, uhm... assistant?" She blinked, never having been told her 'official' title. "_Your_ assistant?" His head turned and his eyes flashed at her reaction, "Yes, research assistant, we aren't talking about a secretary here. Is that problem Dr. Lockheart?" "No! No problem..." she shook her head emphatically. "Actually, its great. Thank you...thank you so much. I'm deeply grateful. You've been more than generous, Doctor." "I hadn't realized how useful having someone else up here could be, especially someone as intelligent and resourceful as yourself. I've been going over the past research you were involved in, and I must say, I've been impressed." She blushed profusely as he complimented her on her work. "Something tells me you're not an easy man to impress,"she said, "that means a lot." She cleared her throat. "I hope I can live up to your expectations. I must say this is the most fabulous laboratory I've ever seen." "Thank you, I try to keep it up to date, only the best as they say," he smiled at her, as he artificially nudged her feelings, particularly while she was thanking him for the compliment. Moreau never hesitated to use his vampiric gifts, and he certainly wasn't going to stop here, if anything he was enjoying the "distraction" that his new lab assistant was providing him. "Well, we should get to work," he said, as they started checking up on the projects, and starting their own research. That night stretched into several as the week began to pass, and then another, and another.

Moreau was focused while he worked, but he would talk consistently with her, as the nights went on. Sometimes he would draw conclusions on the research that made no sense to her, and possibly no logical sense at all, but she quickly learned, after he snapped at her, that she wasn't to argue about that. Aubrey was indeed a diligent worker. A true scientist, she was a stickler for controls, data collection, and any offer effects that would effect the accuracy of the data; but Moreau would find she never seemed to question the more delicate, ethical conundrums such as practical applications or safety protocols. She was also a stellar employee; always at work on time, wouldn't leave until she was dismissed. Moreau began to have food delivered in, from the best restaurants that would serve that late, which considering his prestige was apparently several, though it was always for Aubrey, he never indulged himself. She would also suffer from those lapses in time, but she could leap to the assumption that was her body adjusting to it's new sleep schedule, if Moreau noticed he never chided her on it.

While grateful for the food, she seemed concerned, and very self conscious, about eating in front of him, especially since he didn't anything himself. But hunger would always win out, and the quality of the food was something Aubrey wasn't accustomed to, so she eventually began to enjoy and look forward to her midnight lunches with Moreau.

Other than that, the nights were wonderful, Moreau was strange but charming and every now and then it would seem like her emotions were going wild on her. Then, after she went home, and was away from him with her own thoughts the "dreams" started. Of course she didn't have to sleep for them to start, as she began to have flashes of pure emotions, or hear voices that weren't there , or see things out of the corners of her eyes, things that played on her hopes, fears, and dreams. They always stopped before the sun rose though, finally letting her sleep, but her biggest moments of peace were with Moreau. This began to wear on Aubrey as the weeks went on. She come home and curled up on her living room coach for hours sometimes, her mind playing tricks on her constantly. She would pace around her house, looking for rats, cracks, loose planks; anything that might explain why she was becoming such a basketcase. Between the lapses in time and the strange vision-like dreams, she seriously began to grow concerned about her mental health. She wouldn't have spoken to Moreau about it, its generally not a good idea to let on to your boss that you think you might be going crazy, but she would always at least show up to work looking more shaken than enthusiastic like when she started. Moreau would compliment Aubrey, something she certainly wasn't used to, starting by stopping her in the middle of her work, and telling her, "I've never had a finer assistant, you are absolutely brilliant Aubrey." He'd taken to calling her Aubrey sometime between the three or so weeks they'd worked together. After a bit, Moreau began to enjoy Aubrey's company more and more, and began to slack off on tormenting her in the ways he had thus far, though whatever tricks her mind continued to play as a result on her was out of his hands. Moreau instead took to encouraging her enthusiasm, doing little things here and there to draw her attention, such as leaving his lab coat open and his shirt unbuttoned low as they worked, and the occasional flower or chocolates on her desk when she arrived. Though he never acted openly romantic with her around, or gave the gifts to her personally. After a few weeks, Aubrey had spent some of her free time to research more about her new boss. What Aubrey had heard about Moreau was interesting to say the least, apparently he was of European descent, recently so, his family only migrating here at the end of the 19th century. He was apparently involved in many scientific endeavors but had a habit of not completing the work on them, thus not being involved in the final credit. Rumors were he turned down several prestigious projects and even a couple of awards before settling down here and with sizable capital setting up this company. He was regarded by the scientific community as odd, but brilliant. It didn't take long for what used to be a school girl crush to fan into full-fledged admiration of Moreau. He was a brilliant scientist with move star good looks, and in Aubrey's mind, it didn't get any better. She knew very little about his personal life, and as dying as she was to know, she never got the nerve to ask him directly. He didn't wear a wedding band... that was a start. He never spoke of any girlfriends or fiance's with her; but she had to be honest with herself: he didn't talk about anything personal with her, really. She wouldn't really have any way to know. They only saw each other at work, and Aubrey was finding the night shift to be really grating on her sometimes. She was sleeping more than she ever did before, often not waking up until well into the afternoon and not feeling particularly rested all the time, either. On the other hand, Aubrey wasn't exactly the most confident when came to matters of romance. Sure, get her in a room of scientists and she could hold her own against nearly anybody, but she was smart enough to know a good majority of the reason she immersed herself so much in science was how awkward and ungraceful she was in social realms. Not particularly attractive or social, she never had much luck with boyfriend anyway. Sure, she wasn't a nun... she had had boyfriends and relationships, but they were not exactly model material like, well, like Dr. Moreau was. The chocolates and the roses confused her as much as they elated her. She'd blush and grin and smell each flower, savor each chocolate, and generally revel in the surrealism of it all - but when it came time to meet Dr. Moreau in the lab, he would make no mention of it. She had nearly convinced herself it was a cruel joke by one of her bitter old co-workers before working up the nerve to test the waters. "Thank you," she said pointedly one day after she found the small gift on her desk. She didn't say what for, instead she wanted to gauge his reaction to see if he even knew what she was talking about. "I was wondering when you would get around to thanking me," Moreau said instead of a typically 'you're welcome,' response. "I trust it has all been to your liking?" he said with a bit of an arrogant grin as he continued working, watching her reactions out of the corner of his eye. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly, praying she wasn't blushing as hard she felt she might be. "I uh, wasn't sure if you - I mean, I thought maybe..." she took a deep breath and just shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry. Just. thank you. and of course, I loved them. You have, uh, impeccable taste," she said with a grin. "Of course I do," was his response in a cold tone, but then he did something more subtle, his hand slipped over hers, pulling it away from their work, to hold it for a moment as he smiled a mischievous smile, then removed it and left her with that for the evening. She swallowed as his hand took hers, noting only for a second how cold it was before, well not caring. She waiting for him to say something else, but instead he just gave her a smile and went back to working. Aubrey tried to articulate something, but gave up after several minutes. She just threw herself back into her work... letting her brain work up the courage to say something on the backburner. After several hours, as she was fetching a fresh labcoat for Moreau, she cleared her throat at she handed it to him. "So, ah... we should go out for breakfast or...something... you know, once we're done here of course" Moreau enjoyed watching her internal conflict, he could see it in her eyes from their momentary encounter and revealed in how it appeared to be eating her up, even as he contemplated eating, and taking sips of the warm vitae that flowed through her veins. But he also didn't want to risk her health, he was growing quite fond of the frumpy scientist and began to mull on his own personal plans for her. He was bemused and a little surprised when she finally got up the courage to ask about breakfast on the same night. He'd expected it would take much longer than that. "Are the dinners here not satisfactory?" he asked, amused to watch her squirm. Of course he wouldn't go out with her, especially not so close to morning. "I spend a lot of money to have those brought in you know." He said, diverting the subject and acting slightly offended. "No!" she said quickly, immediately regretting even bringing it up. "Just, ya know, its a long night and - well - you don't... uh, eat much. No, please, I really appreciate it, I just thought since, well.. nevermind. You're right, no need for breakfast. Or coffee, right, you probably sleep after you get home, hmm?" Great, now she just seemed like a pig. She scratched her arm nervously and buried her face in the microscope to hopefully hide how red and hot her face felt. Good job, Aubrey she chided herself. He knows exactly what you;re trying to do, he's just trying to find a nicer way to say no.

"Besides... what would people think if they saw me with an... employee," he said with disdain dripping from his voice. "Still..." he said with a long pause, as if he was considering something. "Since you are here," he grabbed her and pulled her into a deep kiss, as his mouth was unusually cold, but his tongue probed hers with a centuries worth of expertise, as he looked deep into her eyes and then she woke up back in her bed. Her last memory of that intimate encounter. ***

Aubrey slowly sat up in her bed, the sun glaring at her from behind her curtains. She pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to clear the fog out of her brain. She didn't remember coming home that night... the last thing she remembered was.. _...oh god_. No. That was a dream. It had to be.. she... well, yeah. It had to be, she had no memory after that. And she definitely would have remembered ... anything else. She smiled and touched her lips with a grin. Such a nice dream, though. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her phone, blinking as she stared down at the date. Wait... if that was dream how was it already Thursday? She was confused..and horribly upset at herself. This missing time thing was starting to seriously concern her... maybe she should mention it to Dr. Moreau..? Oh god... what if they... had done something and she forgot? No... no that couldn't be it, she convinced herself. That wouldn't happen... I mean, it was just a crush, and he was her boss. not to mention he could probably have any girl he wanted in the world. The following night Dr. Moreau did not appear, Aubrey could have eventually worked on the several projects they did have to check in on, but he didn't arrive nor did the expensive middle of the morning meals arrive. The options ended up being the vending machine, out, or not eating at all. Aubrey hovered around the lab, the dread building up in her chest. What had she done? What did they do? Was he mad. Did he fire her and she just not remember? She eventually just hunkered down to work, trying to focus on her projects, hastily wiping away frustrated tears. Eventually, however, the work calmed her down and she barreled through the assignments. She was starving by the time morning came around, but she was too afraid to leave the office. She just knew the moment she would leave to get lunch Moreau would have come in, seen she wasn't there, and left again. Her shift ended...she was tired, hungry, and the worry was heaving heavily on her in the pit of her stomach. But she stayed at her desk for nearly an hour more, dozing off until the morning shift began to trickle in. As the crew shuffled in her old supervisor took a moment to give Aubrey a scoffing look, but didn't say anything. Now it was the weekend, and she realized she didn't even have a number to contact him at. Everything went through his office assistant during the day. However, it was that night, late, when she'd usually be at work, when her doorbell rang. Aubrey shuffled to the door, concerned why someone would be ringing at such a late hour. The thought that it might be her boss never even occurred to her unless she looked her through peep hole. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Moreau on the other side. "Dr. Moreau!" she called, looking in horror down at her weekend wear, which was just a pair of jeans and a tshirt, and the state of her living room. "Shit," she hissed under her breath. Part of her wanted to race around and change, clean... but she knew he wasn't one that liked to be kept waiting. "Just a minute," she called, quickly gathering some dirty dishes off her coffee table and ditching them in the kitchen before grabbing a scrunchie and quickly pulling up her hair in a ponytail. She opened the door with a meek smile. "Doctor... I...what are you doing here?" she asked. Her apartment was large, in a great part of town. But it was sparsely furnished and obviously never had the touch of any kind of professional designer. "Hello Aubrey," he said with a smirk as he let himself in.

Gone was the labcoat, replaced by a black blazer, black pants, and a deep green undershirt. He stood outside, the moon to his back, as she opened the door, his eyes reflecting in the strangest way.

He looked around the apartment judgmentally, "This is... ...you know what nevermind."

He walked right up to her, close, she couldn't even feel his breath on her as his fingers gently stroked her hair. "Besides, it's you I came to see... that is... if you don't mind." He said in a tone that implied that she didn't. "I don't mind..." she half-lied, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She looked deep into his eyes, her heart racing, suddenly filling with nervousness and uncertainty; all the lost time and other factosr having her doubt every thing that happened to her. "You weren't at work yesterday..." she said, hoping to get some clues as to what happened. "Is everything okay?" Moreau didn't miss a beat, as he closed the door behind him deftly and leaned down to put his face near hers, still his breathing was so shallow (she assumed) she didn't hear it. "Everything's fine Aubrey... I attended to some matters," he smirked at her as he said. "Don't they say something like... absence makes the heart grow fonder." as he smiled at the implications he just made. She couldn't help smile. "Yes, they do say that..." She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, swallowing hard. "Doctor, I... " she hated to ruing this moment...his face was so close... but she was getting frustrated and scared about her blackouts, and didn't want anymore to happen that she didn't remember. "Have I been acting, uh...strange recently?" "Not at all..." he smiled, "I mean you made it perfectly clear the first night we met how much you wanted to be with me. That's why I couldn't let you go and made arrangements." "Don't you remember, when you kissed me that first night... and every night after that?" Moreau said with a smile, and the most convincing lying that a vampire that was over a century old was capable of. "I mean this has been going on for weeks... don't tell me you are getting cold feet after all the roses and candy." Aubrey felt her heart sink. She backed away from him, as hard as that was. "...what?" She sunk down onto her couch, her heart racing. "Oh no..." she breathed. "Doctor, I... something's wrong with me." "Nothing's wrong with you..." he sat beside her and stroked her hair. "So take charge and aggressive, I couldn't resist a dalliance with you." he said as he kissed her cheek, "Even if I didn't think you'd be my type you surprised me." His face put on a bit more concern, "Are you reconsidering things between us?" She felt her heartbeat pick up as he talked and touched her; even through all the concern she was having about her mental health he was putting some rather vivid ideas in her head. "There's an us?" she squeaked. She shook het head, her eyes filling up with tears as she was on the brink of panicking. "Doctor, I don't remember. Any of that. Weeks? Oh god how could it have been weeks? I just remember for kiss the other night after I tried to ask you out and then..." She paled a bit. "oh my god..." she breathed. She looked up at him. "Did we have sex?" she asked, scandalized. "Not yet." Moreau said as he pulled her into another kiss, his tongue probing her lips in the most sensual way as his fingers roamed her body. He enjoyed playing with the Doctor, implying this had been going on for some time while he'd actually just been feeding on her. Luckily, he'd already fed tonight. His lips moved to her neck, whispering softly in her ear while his hands stroked the side of her face, "I don't know Aubrey, maybe you are going crazy... but if you are... isn't this what you wanted. The pay, the prestige, me..." he kissed beside her lips, teasing them with his tongue. "Maybe crazy is good... if it gets you what you want." His kisses were intoxicating and she couldn't help herself from kissing bath, running her fingers through his thick red hair. A part of her, a very bad, selfish part, thought Moreau had a very good point. She didn't want to stop, especially considering were it looked like this was going. But she couldn't. She gently put a hand on his chest and pushed him away. "doesn't that concern you?" she asked. "it's not...me. Seducing you. Do you really think I'd be dressed like this if I thought youd be coming over?" she tried to joke. She looked on the brink of tears. "This is serious. I don't _remember_." "Fine," Moreau said with a bit of a sigh as she pushed him away. "Does this concern me... no it doesn't. I'd say pretty clearly this is your issue, not mine. "Maybe this a part of you that you've had all along, one that is just helping you get what you want. Not something to fear... unless you were happy with your old life I suppose." Moreau said as he moved closer again his hands wrapping around her. "Some have called me crazy... I welcome it. Thinking differently from the rest of the cattle of this world. "As I see it... you have a choice..." he said with a bit of a smirk. "You can reject it... fix it... try to put all the pieces back together again and end up right where you started for who knows how long. I'll go home and you can have your lonely weekend and your lonely rest of your life... "Or... you can embrace it, let whatever it is help you get what you want... and think of it this way, it's you right now... don't you want to be you right now," he said as he pulled her into another kiss. "I..." she hesitated, looking over at him with obvious desire. She hadn't been wholly unhappy with her old life. I mean... ...well... ...she had a good job. A decent job. Not as good as this one. Moreau was right, to a point. She could still ... Fix herself tomorrow. But Moreau seemed unconcerned so why should she? He was warned...and he still by some freak of nature wanted her And he was... So amazing. Shed never been with a man nearly this attractive. She could be selfish for once in her life. She began to return his kisses, unsure at first but increasing with confidence. Moreau kept her locked in a kiss as his hands slipped under her blouse and deftly unhooked Aubrey's bra. He slid it out skillfully from under her blouse, claiming it like a prize but going no further. "Do you want to sleep with your boss Aubrey?" Moreau said with a smirk. "What would the office gossip say?" he kept his smile, deepening it, even as his tongue teased her neck. "Not to late for me to stop... but if you want me to continue... I want you to admit how twisted you are." he grinned as his hands teased her body. His voice was compelling and convincing, the product of being far older than he looked. Her eyes slipped closed as he kissed her neck. "I don't think.. " it was hard to articulate sentences with his hands on her, "it's very twisted to want you," she purred. "I didn't say it was twisted to want me of course it's not, that's probably the sanest thing about you... I just want you to admit to me that you are twisted..." Moreau kissed her again but he was still being insistent. "It makes me hot..." he whispered into her ear, breathing onto her neck, which actually was something he rarely did and never had to do, but in this case it added to the mood. _Well in that case..._ She was already going crazy. She told Moreau she was crazy. Worse case scenario... well, she could blame it on the crazy. "I'm twisted," she said after a moment. "Totally twisted, and totally want you." "That's my girl." Moreau said as he pushed her back down onto the couch so the real fun could begin.


	2. Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2

It was well into the next afternoon before Aubrey finally stirred. She rolled over, trying to hide her face from the afternoon sun that was making its way past the blackout curtains she had installed. The events of last night slowly began to trickle her way into her mind, and it was no question to her that it was real and not a dream - her muscles ached in all the right ways in all the right places. She was already smiling, until she reached over... to find only a cool empty bed. She sat up, frowning as she realized he was gone His clothes were no where to be found, and she could see form here the bathroom door was open and unoccupied. She shook her head, a bit surprised at herself. It had been...a long time for her. And he was her boss. Oh yeah...and she was going crazy. She reached for her phone and called the only number she had for him. Unsurprisingly, he got his secretary. She left a message, asking for him to call her, before dragging herself out a bed..she had a psychiatrist appointment to make. Moreau wouldn't have called her back, waiting till she showed up on Monday. Back at work, Aubrey would have found the blackouts continuing, but Moreau would have been much more affectionate with her. Occasionally making out with her and even doing things to get her off at the office. Other than that, things would continue like before, with Moreau now making an effort to show up frequently on Friday or Saturday nights, screwing her lights out, and then being gone by the time she woke up. He didn't schedule it... or warn her, or ever accept any invites to see her out of the office and her home. But during all these moments, all of Moreau's attention was focused squarely on Aubrey, there wasn't any question of that. It was about three weeks after the first time. She sat at her desk, showing up early for her shift, staring mournfully at the little brown pill bottle she was twirling in her fingers. The blackouts were still happening, though now that Moreau and Aubrey were... doing whatever they were doing, she had no real way to gauge what kind of behavior she was doing when she did black out. But even her behavior when she was aware of it was horribly out of character; and distressing to herself and her doctor. She never thought she's be that _that_ girl. Screwing her boss. Not dating. Just ... fucking. It wasn't like her. Not like her at all. But she couldn't seem to control herself. She would tell herself she would end it; tell him she wasn't interested in a physical only relationship. But everytime he would kiss her, her intentions would go out the window. Her doctor said her "acting out sexually" was probably related to whatever mental crisis she was going through. With a sigh of defeat, she opened the pill bottle and took one. Now she was _that woman_.: medicated, depressed, and horribly confused. It would be a few days of the medication before Moreau would realize what she was doing. He'd noticed a certain... offness the first few nights, but it wasn't until it had permeated her system and begun to do so to her brain chemistry that he really noticed. He felt the drugs kick around in his own system... trying to "fix" his own brain chemistry as it were. Of course it was hopeless, but the sensation distressed Moreau. So he resolved to do something about it. The next night, Aubrey would have woken up from a blackout to a toilet flushing, coming into consciousness just as she saw her pills spiraled down the drain. Holding the empty bottle in one hand and with her other hand on the handle to the toilet. Obviously... the other her didn't like the idea of the medication. Aubrey fell back, running her hand through her hair in distress. "God dammit" she cried, throwing the now empty bottle across the bathroom. Angry tears ran down her face as she stormed out the room, jotting down the time in her journal and slamming it shut. What was it? Disassociate identity disorder was rare... _too_ rare. ..not to mention Moreau seemed to think whatever was happening to her it was still Aubrey. She made the promise to herself that day she would figure out why and what was happening. ...she researched surveillance over the next few days. She bought an app to track her cel phone 24/7, and put up small cameras in her living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Every attempt to renew her prescription, however, ended in similar tragedy. Once she found herself at an open window, the bottle empty in her hands on a rainy night. Her cell phone didn't track any odd movements... and the blackouts only seemed to occur when she was at work. At least the footage and the cell phone tracking seemed to confirm that. One night, several weeks into her so-far-failed attempt at medicating herself Moreau came to Aubrey, "Aubrey... I know you've been seeing someone behind my back." She looked up suddenly from her microscope. "What?" She was surprised - though not disappointed at all - that he would even care. "No..." she insisted, standing up and reaching for his hand. "No, where did you get that idea?" Moreau threw a business card for the psychiatrist in front of her. "I thought we discussed this... I like you just the way you are," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair, bringing her into him as he breathed deep her smell. Aubrey blinked, surprised that he had gotten her doctor's information Did he grow through her purse? Spy on her? She didn't know what to say; finding it hard to concentrate with him face so close to hers. "I'm sick..." she said weakly. "I just want to know why it's happening. Aren't you concerned about me at all?" "I think you are concerned when you should be enjoying yourself." Moreau stepped around her, as he threw the card into the trash, and circled like a shark considering how to best strike it's prey. "Consider it a compliment," he continued, "The most brilliant minds in history have always been known to not be what modern science would categorize as medically sane. Do you know how they used to treat the insane... just a century ago?" Moreau looked furious. "Lock them away, lobotomize them, whatever it takes, just so they can be normal and be like everyone else." He was really going now, "You know they used to think homosexuality was a mental illness... or that women who wanted to have something as simple as an orgasm were suffering from anxiety." It was clear this was in somehow, close to him. "Do you really want to be part of the masses that think that someone is wrong and needs to be fixed just because someone thinks... _different_... or sees the world in a different way... or doesn't remember the moment when the smartest part of her takes what she wants and damned be the consequences!" Moreau sighed, his pacing around her done, his temper settling, "I'm not comfortable with this Aubrey... don't force me to make you choose. Choose _for_ me..." Aubrey stood there in surprise...she had heard Moreau go off on rants before, but this one seemed...impassioned. This really meant something to him. "Hey hey hey..." she said, reaching out for him, trying to be soothing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset..." she pleaded. "I'm just scared, Doctor. I don't like not remembering these large gaps. What am I doing? What if its dangerous." She looked up at him, gasping his hands. "What if its with you? I don't want to forget a thing." "But you wouldn't _be_ with me if it weren't for them." Moreau kissed Aubrey's hand and looked into her eyes with those odd eyes she had gotten so used to yet at the same time never could. "Trust me on this... no harm will come to you as long as we are together. Call the psychiatrist tomorrow... cancel your future appointments," he said in a tone that was both pleading, and without room for discussion, there might have been an 'or else' on there, though it wasn't spoken in so many words. "If...if it means that much to you..." she said, frowning bit. But she looked back into his eyes and smiled, squeezing his hands. "Are you coming over tonight?" she asked, hopeful. "If you promise me you are done with this..." Moreau said with a nod. "I promise," she said. And she _mostly_ meant it. She would put the doctor visits and the medication on the back burner for now, but she fully intended to keep tracking her movements and keeping her diary. And the surveillance, of course, in case she ever had another blackout at home like she did on occasion. She actually had warning he was coming over this time, for once and tried to prepare. She at least made sure she put on makeup and was wearing something more flattering than trashy weekend clothes. She finally decided against cooking, as nothing seemed to be good enough for him anyway. As if just to build her anxiety, that evening Moreau, who had not given a time per say, arrived an hour and a half later than he usually had been, give or take as it was never an exact time. He knew she'd be waiting for him, and he deftly pulled her into his arms and began their weekend as it usually began. He seemed it completely good spirits about all of it and the earlier incident was completely forgotten, as he set to the task of giving her the most wild lovemaking of her life. Aubrey had to admit she felt better without the medication. But the blackouts continued, usually at work. It was later the next week as she was sitting at her desk before her shift, staring mindlessly at her computer screen. Her eyes went up and focused on the little black square at the top. Of course. She chuckled to herself, quickly typing a few commands into her keyboard. Her desk has a webcam! Maybe, just maybe... if she got lucky she could catch at least of a glimpse at this 'other Aubrey.' At least before she wandered off to...do whatever she did around the office. _Probably Moreau_, she laughed to herself. She adjusted to the settings to have the webcam on in the background and got to work. Soon she did black out, as she often did, right before snapping back and seeing Moreau and realizing his arms were around her and she was sitting on the desk as he kissed her neck softly. "Hey," she said with a smile as soon as he jerked 'awake', running her fingers through his beautiful hair. "What was I just doing?" she asked, looking down at him. "It just happened... what am I like that you seem to find so irresistible?" "The best word I have to describe it is... tasty. " Moreau said with a smirk as he savored her blood on his tongue. Tasting the aftertaste, smooth and perfect, and without the medication just the way he liked it. He never took much from her, he didn't want to endanger her health. Of course unless he was using it frequently, like he did on their weekend... excursions, he didn't need much. As an intelligent, healthy woman, her blood was very filling. Some of the nights she felt worse than others he might have been a bit... greedy, but as long as she believed her blackouts were this alternate self, Moreau liked it just fine. Free food... and he got to see her peer on the edge of her sanity. It was quite sexy. Aubrey kissed his cheek, peering over his shoulder to see if the little, nondescript recording icon was in the tray on her screen. "Hey, I'll be in the lab in a just a minute," she said with a smile. Moreau nodded and walked away, eyeing her a bit suspiciously as he did. Aubrey was excited to have finally gotten some hard...proof of her alter ego. As she started the recording she was almost giddy...it was liking finally getting some justification. But the mood changed dramatically as she watched on; the video she saw was beyond belief: Moreau appear out of nothing behind her. There was no in between frame, one moment he wasn't there, the next he was right up on her. He rested his arm on her shoulder as she looked up at him and then went limp. Then most disturbingly... or perhaps erotically... depending on your perspective, was what happened next. As she saw fangs extend from his canines, and he bit her neck, lapping at the blood as it flowed out of her. He didn't do it for very long of course, and he licked the wound when he was done, as his tongue passed over it, it sealed up as if it was never there.

She sat there, enraptured, watching in mute horror, trying to comprehend what he could be doing...before any depraved thoughts to fill in that blank ... her world changed forever. Right there before her very eyes she saw him turn into the thing of nightmares. She didn't move except to bring her hand up to her lip. Her eyes couldn't look away, even as she felt her heart racing in her chest. "You shouldn't have done that..." she heard behind her. She screamed and spun around, nearly knocking the computer over. "Aubrey, Aubrey, Aubrey... you really shouldn't have done that." Moreau shook his head, his face was a mix of anger, with some sadness mixed in. "Of course... I suppose it's my fault too... I broke my rule... never eat at home." Moreau sat in the chair beside her, and quickly took hold of her hand. "But I liked you... cared about you even... you were intelligent... motivated... full of scientific curiosity and lacking in scruples that hold so many great scientists back. "Oh... and wonderful in bed," he said with a smirk as he talked about her in the past tense. She tried to wrest her hand away from his but his grip was iron clad. "Oh my god," she breathed, terrified. "Please, Moreau... I'm begging you. Don't do anything stupid," she pleaded, still trying to pull away. Moreau snicked, "Oh, it's me you are worried about huh? Aubrey... you don't know the half of it." Moreau shook his head, "So when I let you go... what would you do..." he narrowed his eyes with hers, "Tell me honestly Aubrey. I think the lies between us are over." Aubrey actually paused, not having thought that far ahead. "I just want answers," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. "Please. Please don't hurt me... I won't tell. I swear!" Moreau laughed a maniac look in his eyes, "Like anyone would believe you even if you did. History of mental illness and all." Moreau's demeanor changed almost instantly after he said that, becoming calm and sweet. "Oh sweet sweet Aubrey... I don't mean to be cruel... I care about you... but you just made things so so complicated for both of us." Moreau kissed her cheek softly and gently, "Do you want to know why you've made things complicated?" She swallowed. "Moreau.." she breathed, his face close to hers. "Why?" She was blinking back tears, her blood pumping hot and fast through her veins in fear. "Why would I give you gifts? Why would I pay you well? Provide you with a prestigious position. Give you nights of endless pleasure? Give you a level of access to myself that I haven't given to anyone in decades? All in exchange for a little blood?" Moreau shook his head, the look in his eyes was intense. "Typical human... it's never enough." Moreau turned and didn't even look at her face anymore, not facing her eyes anymore, as if he was ashamed of her. "Moreau..." She reached up with her free hand, touching his shoulder. "Please don't be mad at me..." she pleaded. "I just wanted to see what you liked so much about... that time. So I could do it more. I just wanted to make you happy... I'm sorry I saw what I saw." "I don't believe you are sorry for what you saw Aubrey." Moreau shook his head. "I know you too well... you and your scientific curiosity... it's one of the things that drew me to you. But what I liked about you was you Aubrey, it was always just you." Moreau stood up. "I had to tell you something to explain the blackouts... it's why I don't tend to feed on one person all the time. But you were special." "But now you've seen down the rabbit hole Alice... and made things so complicated for both of us." Moreau looked away again, considering his next course of actions, though his grip still held firm to her hand. "There isn't any going back from this Aubrey." "Are you going to kill me...?" she asked flatly, her body starting to shake. "Please, it doesn't have to be complicated. I just want honesty.." "I won't need to Aubrey... if you start talking about what you saw here... about me... if you get too close to telling the truth of things. They'll kill you, just like they'll come to kill me because you found out. Maybe even if you don't... I've suspected for some time that one of my security guards was reporting back to someone else." Moreau shook his head sadly, "Do you really think that if we exist, if we really exist, that we could keep the truth from getting out all by ourselves. Oh maybe there was a time when that was true... before my time understand." Moreau looked a bit wistful, "But now we have the Masquerade and threats to it must be eliminated." Moreau drew a line across his neck, "People more powerful than me will come after you... and end you. Then they'll come after me." She looked pale and horrified as he talked; knowing she would write him off as completely crazy if she hasn't seen what she just saw. "This can't be real," she said, her voice thin and shaken. She was calming down just enough for her logical, scientific brain to start to go into overdrive. "No... no you're fucking with me," she said, holding up an accusatory finger. "This isn't possible." "I wouldn't lie about this Aubrey... what would be the point. I just said whether you said anything or not we both might likely be dead." Moreau turned and looked at the wall. "Of course... if I killed you... kept this from ever having any chance of getting out. Then I would likely be spared. But I don't want to kill you Aubrey..." he stroked her face, and continued, "I really don't. Which brings us to answer C I suppose." Moreau began to laugh... as if he found the whole thing funny. "W...what's Option C..." she hesitantly asked. She couldn't help herself, her hand came up to touch the side of his face, marveling on, for the first time, exactly why his skin felt so cold and smooth. "How would you like to never age Aubrey? To never add a single extra wrinkle to your face. How would you like to be stronger, and faster, and more alive than you've ever been before? Notice I didn't say dead." Moreau smirked and put her hand on his chest, so she could feel and realize for the first time... no heartbeat, "And best of all... how would you like to have all those answers you are looking for, to remove the veil that you and the rest of the human race have used to hide themselves from the truth. To walk beside me and see things you've never seen before." Moreau gave a small laugh, as if he found the whole thing funny, "There are monsters in the night... lucky for them the monsters are more afraid of them than they are of us." Aubrey's mouth opened and closed a few times. "What? Nononono..." she said, backing away again, jerking her hand away from his heartbeatless chest. "I'm not going to... drink blood... or... oh god, you're serious..." "It's the only way Aubrey. I am allowed a ghoul... a servant." Moreau kissed her hand. "You'll want for nothing under my care." Moreau looked into her eyes, "Don't you see... it's the only way. That is... if I can trust you." Moreau kept looking at her, hoping she'd take this offer willingly. "What...what?" She swallowed again, watching him kiss her hand. "You want me to be you're _what_? A servant?" She shook her head. "It's not... not the only way," she insisted, the nervousness coming back into her voice. "Nothing...nothing has to change. I swear, I won't tell anyone." "What if they already know... what if that security guard down there, who may be a ghoul to one of my rivals... is already on the phone with his boss. Telling them how the insane Dr. Moreau has violated the Masquerade... _again_." Moreau shook his head, "I can't take that chance. Even if I could... we could never see each other again. Is that what you want? But this offer... it can be everything you've ever dreamed of. Access to me... all the time, no more time alone... where you feel insecure and needy. All you have to do is say yes... well part one of all you have to do." Moreau smiled at Aubrey. "Can't I... think about it..." she squeaked out. Moreau's canines extended, as he bit into his own wrist... the thick substance that came out was... reminiscent of blood, but more like it had already congealed, his unique body having changed it, no longer being the thing it once was. He put it on front of Aubrey's face, "Think. Now." _Oh. My. God..._

She blinked, eyes darting between his teeth and his wrist. This was all becoming way too real. But... her logical brain thought: _what's the worst that could happen_? _If he's just crazy, drinking a little bit of blood won't hurt you. He'll probably kill you if you don't._ She looked back up into his eyes, feeling a pulling at her heart. She had never seen him anywhere close to this level of emotional...distress? Her tongue came out and whet her lips, contemplating. It took her several moments to get the courage, finally reaching up and cradling his wrist in her hands as she leaned forward, tentatively tasting the liquid running down his ivory skin.

The liquid was _awful_ at first... thick and viscous and not at all palatable. Her brows knitted at the first taste, and for a moment her neck muscles contracted like she was going to pull away. But...

Then something strange happened, even as it rested on her tongue. Even as the taste lingered, to call it a craving or a desire would be unfair... to say that this liquid was not one of of the best things she had ever had would be a lie. She felt a rush to her head, and it was as if the whole world had exploded for her and that taste... that taste was wonderful and it had only been a small amount, and there was so much more flowing from his arm. One pull, then another. Her nails drug down his arm, pulling away just enough to look down and see the liquid trailing down his skin. She lapped it up hungrily, laving the flat of her tongue over his cool skin before attaching herself back to the wound on his wrist, sucking harder and more hungrily. All of the physical effects would not be felt immediately, it would take time for the vitae to infuse her cells. Still she felt better than she ever had before and nothing could have pulled her away from what was being so willingly offered. "I probably should have warned you though Aubrey... when I convinced you you were insane. Think of it as... preparation. Not that you didn't already have mental issues, that was one of the first things I liked about you." Moreau smirked. " But I am... Malkavian... I carry the 'Curse' of Malkov." Moreau smiled a wicked smile. "Insanity is in the blood my dear, and flowing down your throat as we speak. But you know what hides inside insanity... the truth." Aubrey wiped the blood off her chin, meeting his eyes. "You're really a... " she shook her head, she just couldn't say it. But the edge was off her voice...no longer wavering from fear. Her eyes were full of admiration and desire. She licked at his skin. "And... I'm not actually crazy?" Moreau concentrated for a moment, as his wound closed up, leaving only what was still on the surface for her to drink, as his hand had already let go of hers. He knew he wouldn't need to hold her anymore... the vitae was so addictive... even on the first taste, she'd come back for more. "Oh you had issues aplenty before I met you... even if you'd buried them so deep." Moreau stroked her hair, "But you weren't as crazy as I might have led you to believe... to protect you from the truth. But notice I used the past tense... I'm sure you can already feel something different... not just here." Moreau said as he motioned to her body. "But up here as well," he said as his fingers stroked her skull. "It's not the full blown Curse of Malkov... but the shackles of sanity are certainly going to loosen my lovely pet. "But it's okay Aubrey," He kissed her again, tasting his own blood on her lips, "We can be crazy together... and you can have more." Aubrey kissed him back passionately, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You never had to lie to me," she purred. "I would have let you drink from me willingly," she admitted. It was probably mostly true, at least after they had grown alittle closer. "You could have trusted me with all of this." "I'll hold you to that Aubrey." Moreau grinned, "But no... I couldn't... this was the price that had to be paid to let you in. I wasn't willing... or sure if I should ask that of you... yet. C'mon... we'll go back to my place." Moreau smirked, "I doubt either of us is working tonight. I'm sure you want answers." Aubrey kept hold hold of his arm if he led her. "You're place?" she asked with an excited smile, like a child who has just been told they were going to the playground. Stepping outside she paused for just a moment, letting the sensations wash over her. It was more noticeable than she had expected... a little piece of her mind still not comprehending the gravity of the situation. "You can tell me everything," she said, stepping closer to him still, almost as if she was afraid to let him go. Moreau patted Aubrey's hand, "I will my pet, I will." Moreau took her to the expensive sports car that was in the parking spot reserved for him. She noticed at first how dark the windows were tinted for the first time, as if his whole world of secrets was opening up for her when he opened the door to her side and she saw the expensive leather seats inside. Then he walked around and opened his own, as he quickly pulled out of the empty parking lot and turned onto the city street, driving atleast 20 miles over the speed limit. "What would you like to know first?" Aubrey was grinning from ear to ear, looking out the windows and watching the lights of the city zoom by. She laughed... a deep shaky laugh - the kind you laugh when recovering from stress, or after a tragedy. "What's true," she asked, looking over at him, covering her giggles with her hands. "Sunlight? Garlic? Crosses... ?" He looked over at her with a grin, momentarily removing his eyes from the road. "Should I be worried that the first thing you ask me about is what I'm vulnerable to?" "Well... the first thing you must understand is there is not just one kind of Vampire. We have clans, more of bloodlines if you will... that stretch back to the earliest of recorded histories. Some have certain... weaknesses or... flaws" Moreau grinned. "That said... I've never met or heard of a vampire who is vulnerable to garlic." He shook his head, "Crosses are a more iffy subject... a cross is useless, but true faith... the honest to goodness belief in a higher or greater power can be used against us." Moreau grinned, "Luckily, very few humans have that level of faith." Moreau kept driving, shifting gears as he picked up speed by another 10 miles in the lonely streets of the A.M. hours, "Now sunlight... sunlight is bad... very very bad. Let's just say, we don't tan... we burn. Fire in general is very dangerous to us. Vampires are what you might call... highly flammable." "I'm surprised you didn't bring up stakes," he said as the speedometer hit another 10 miles and he shifted again. She grinned back at him. "Well? Are stakes bad, too?" Her hand slipped onto his side of the car to rest on his thigh. "The immobilize... but they don't kill." Moreau looked down at his heart. "So... as far as bad goes... I suppose I'd take it over sunlight."

"We can talk about the good stuff," she purred. "How old are you?"

"As to my age... open the glove compartment." he said, nodding towards it. Inside she would have found a very old very classic looking copy of H.G. Well's 'The Island of Dr. Moreau.' signed by H.G. Wells himself. Aubrey turned the book over in her hand, running her hand down the old leather cover before opening it up to confirm the first edition she suspected it was, and saw the signature. She gave a smirk; she had read the book when she was an undergrad, and the fact that she worked for a "Doctor Moreau" hadn't escaped her. She just never brought it up because, well, she was certain Moreau had probably been hearing that since grade school: grad school at the very least. Surface fascination quickly fell away as she realized _why_ he asked her to look at it. "Oh...wait," she said, looking back over at him. "You're shitting me, you're trying to say this is about you?" "Well, Wells didn't get all of the details 100%, but it's a fun read yes." Moreau said as he let down his American accent, and for the first time in 70 years spoke with a French one. "My sire met me after the scientific communities had rejected me, but it was more than that, he met me after my ideas and some of my earlier less that successful secret research had managed to land me in the insane asylum." Moreau snickered as though it were funny then. "He said my ideas were brilliant and offered me an island... and a couple of key blood samples without which my successful work wouldn't have been possible. Plus, he got me out of the Asylum." Moreau shook his head, "Free of the asylum, I could feel the ideas ticking around in my head again, it was wonderful. Never would I allow my thoughts to be suppressed like that again," the look in Moreau's eyes was maniac again as he took the opportunity to climb the speedometer to 110. "There was one other cost... that I become his lover for a time, not that he had any true sexual desire for me, but he wanted me as arm candy around the other Kindred and he liked the feeling of taboo." Moreau smirked, "Eventually, having serviced him loyally for several years, I was embraced, and was given all the pieces I had been promise, and the island. "Which I promptly bungled, the Curse of Malkov had lead to some... bad decisions. Getting my creations to worship me as a god was among them. Believing I was actually a god... was probably another." Moreau smirked. "But it was fun. When I returned, telling my story and trying to prove what I had succeeded at doing, I wasn't taken seriously, though a fiction writer took an interest in my story and spent some time with me." Moreau grinned. "I don't think he believed a word of it... but you know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction." Moreau slipped back into his at this point more comfortable U.S. accent, "And it is my pet... _it is_." Moreau mumbled, "Ugh... Marlon Brando," under his breath. As the car shifted gears again, propelling them over 100mph, Aubrey dropped the book in her lap and began to dig her nails into the armrests' leather. She openly stared at him while he spoke, her eyes wide with a mix of fascination and a healthy dose of anxiety. There was still a part of her, one she was choosing to downplay at the moment in favor of self-preservation, that was telling her he was just...very insane. Or she was. Hell, she could be imagining the whole damn thing. Her eyes darted to the city lights speeding by on her window and she shifted in her seat. "Uh, excuse me for being ignorant of the terminology," she said after a second, digesting his story. "So... you become this vampires lover so he would free you from the asylum and he promised you this island..." she looked back down at the book and placed on her hands on it. "And he did, after he turned you in a vampire himself? But, uh..." she bit her lip, "It didn't work out."

"Yes... it didn't work out." Moreau said as he slammed on the breaks, bringing them to an abrupt stop in front of a large condominium.

She seemed to quiet down for a few minutes, lost in thought. "You shouldn't hide your accent," she mentioned, seemingly as a footnote. He stayed in the car for a moment and turned to her and smiled, "It's not hiding after a while. The Moreau family have been natural born for several generations... by which I mean me, forging records of a son and all. You pick up the accent naturally, after a while this is more natural than your native one, which is true. I consider myself American by this point." Moreau escorted Aubrey inside where there were a doorman who came across as rather... flamboyant. "Ahhh... Dr. Moreau, I see you've brought a lady friend with you," he gave Aubrey a judgmental look, clearly directed at her clothing and figure. "Will you be needing any sort of... service later in escorting her... out?" he said, his voice dripping with innuendo which knowing what she did, Aubrey could probably infer he was referring more to her body than actually her. "No Claude... she is ghoul now." Moreau looked away, as if bothered by Claude's surprise. Then an idea popped in his head as he turned back with a smile. "Tell your master I have need to settle that debt she owes me," Moreau grinned wider now, "With you." Moreau tapped his chin, "You will come for Aubrey tomorrow and for the next several weeks that follow, during the daytime hours, and help... educate her on both her manner of clothes and fashion and her other... gifts." Aubrey looked surprised Moreau would have looked down at her, "I can't have my ghoul dressing like that now can I? Not if you intend to accompany me anywhere." The flash of indigence across her eyes quickly dissipated as she realized, well, she'd be accompanying him somewhere obviously. The look of judgement from this Claude fellow wasn't lost on her either. She lifted her nose a bit and smiled, taking a hold of Moreau's arm when he informed him of their new situation.

As they passed the doorman, out of earshot, she looked around making sure no one else was around. "He's a ... ghoul, too?" She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, that term sounds like a zombie." "Get used to it... it's kinder than some other terms you may encounter as you get used to dealing with Kindred." Moreau smirked, "What we Vampires call ourselves."

She looked up at him with eager eyes. "That's what you called it, right? What I am. Not a...uh, vampire." She licked her lips, realizing this was the first time she'd actually said it - like saying it made it real somehow. "I'm not going to die or whatever if I'm in the daylight?" "No... you are not a vampire... nor are you vulnerable to sunlight... you are still very much alive. Perhaps more alive than ever." Moreau walked her towards the elevator. "Perhaps more alive than you've ever been. You may find your appetites enhanced, your senses more keen, your strength double that of any human, and your body highly resistant to disease and as long as you are provided a steady supply of 'this'..." Moreau bit his own finger lightly and offered it to her mouth to suckle on, she had never known such a craving with the sight in front of her. "You'll never age another day." He stroked Aubrey's hair, "You will learn from Claude how to heal yourself, perform amazing feats of strength or acrobatics, eventually, you may even be able to learn a trick of two of a vampire's." Aubrey licked and sucked at Moreau's finger eagerly, keeping her gaze locked on him as she listened. She couldn't help but look a bit dubious of it all. "Sounds too good to be true," she said honestly. "What's the catch?" She licked, slowly, a drop of blood that had slip down his finger. "Eternal servitude to a kindred... an addiction you will never be rid of that can only be slaked in one way." Moreau sealed the wound on his finger with a thought. "Your fate being tied to mine... if the Masquerade, the laws that keep us protected from being discovered are violated, and I am killed. There would be no reason to keep a vitae addict who knows too much alive either." The elevator opened to Moreau's penthouse. "You should feel privileged, many Kindred tell their ghouls as little as possible. It makes them less of a liability." Moreau said as he stood in front of the door to his place reaching for his key and typing in a code. Aubrey didn't want to believe it, but the craving was already starting, there was no point denying it. _He could be high on LSD_, that lingering voice in her head said. Certainly could pass the effect via blood. "How many ghouls do you have?" she asked, unable to keep a bit of a pout out of her voice. "I don't have any other ghouls." Moreau grinned though he failed to mention anymore, "Oh I've toyed with the idea of doing it to my secretary. But it was easier just to be a strange recluse who doesn't take calls during the day. Besides... as a Malkavian I'm only attracted to a... special sort." Moreau said with a grin. "You had potential sure... but until you discovered my secret I wasn't sure. Atleast now I know you are resourceful, that will serve me well." "What happened to your... uh, sire, I think you called it," she asked pointedly. "The one that made you a vampire." "Probably still in Europe." Moreau shrugged and opened the door to his place. As she was at once blown away by it's size and complexity. It had been furnished out with luxury furniture. There was a fully stocked bar opposite the large living area. Paintings adorned the wall, strange nonsensical ones, like M.C. Escher and odder ones still. Many of them looked normal at first glance, but then revealed some insane, out of place element. She'd also notice, despite the size and location, there were no windows to be found. But the paintings seemed to be placed to fill that role.

"You aren't still in contact with him?" Aubrey was still so very young, but the idea of losing contact with your ex-lover who turned you into a vampire seemed like a foreign concept to her.

"When we last saw each other there wasn't exactly cell phones and email." Moreau shrugged, "Besides, it was best to go my own way. He ended up in some trouble with an English scientist and went into hiding."

She stepped into the flat, looking around with an obvious sense of wonder. Her eyes lingered on the paintings, letting go of his arm for the first time since they left the car to look at a few of them closer.

"Tomorrow you will move out of your place and move in here, I'll pay any appropriate lease breaking fees. Oh, and sell your car as well, we'll get you something nicer." "You want me to move in with you?" she asked, sounding surprised, but neither offended or enthusiastic. Regardless of the new shift in their relationship, Moreau couldn't have made their relationship more clandestine if he tried. Now, he was asking (well, telling) he she was moving in. "Yes, it will be nice to have someone to handle my daytime affairs and help me manage the lab. I will make you an executive." Moreau stroked Aubrey's hair, "Plus the others would find it unwise to have a ghoul too far out of my sights." Moreau sat down on a comfortable chair, "As my ghoul... there are certain obligations, among them is to serve me. In exchange I share precious blood with you." He pointed between the two of them, "You do understand what this is correct?" Aubrey watched him carefully; the gears were turning in her head though she seemed to be holding her tongue on a lot of issues. "Tell me, Doctor." she asked cooly, walking over to him and slowly getting to her knees beside the chair, smirking up at him. She put one her hands on his knee, "What is this?" "I care very deeply for you Aubrey... I enjoy your company, and now that you are a ghoul I can let you into more of my life." Moreau smirked. "But also as my ghoul, you will serve me in all ways that I need." Moreau smiled to her, "I am your Kindred master, we are not equals..." Moreau grinned, "Yet." She swallowed, but her gaze or cool expression didn't waiver. Internally, there was still a battle raging in her head. The Scientist was convinced this was elaborate ploy by a clearly insane man. She was playing along with it, both enabling him and perhaps biding her time. However... there was that other part that wanted so desperately to believe it was all true. She had seen what she had seen... so best case scenario that would mean they were both utterly delusional. But for some reason, that thought didn't scare her like it did just hours ago. "Are you going to turn me into a vampire one day?" she asked, tilting her head. "I'd prefer not to say... that decision may not be up to me." Moreau said with a smile, he stroked her face. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, "But, I imagine you'll make the finest ghoul a Kindred could ask for." "I promise," she said between kisses, absolutely basking in the attention he was lavishing on her. "Can you still drink my blood if I'm your Ghoul?" she asked after several minutes. "Yes I can... and I shall. But I have the added responsibility of feeding you now too." Moreau licked her neck, "Do you want me to feed again so soon... I wouldn't want to endanger my pets life." "I trust you," she said, under the ill-advisement of her more logical side of her brain. "You don't have to if you're not, uh... hungry?" She shrugged, I guess that what you'd call it. "But... you don't have to knock me out every time now, right?" "Well... feeding you has left me... hungry as you might say." Moreau said as he licked his lips, and I do suppose you could spare a bit more for me. Moreau's fangs slid down, revealing the way in which this predator of mankind was able to conceal himself so well.

She took a sharp intake a breath as she saw his fangs- it was a much different feeling seeing them so close. An erotic excitement with a tinge of fear - - she felt his fangs plunge into her skin and she hissed in a breath. She reached up quickly tangled her fingers in his hair.

She tilted her head. "Does it hurt?"

"No Aubrey... it feels very very good." Moreau said as in a smooth motion his teeth latched on to her neck, sensations that her body experienced were completely unique for a zone that shouldn't have been endogenous sending endomorphines to her brain. As he bit down he began to suckle and lap around the wound with his tongue. Her logical brain would have told her that her nerves in her neck shouldn't have been capable of this depth of feeling. Her eyes lolled back in her head and she purred, craning her neck to give him better access. There was definitely something wrong going on here. Moreau pulled back after a moment, and with a mere lick the wound closed up, as though it were never there. He licked a drop of her blood from his lip and grinned at her. "Mmmm... that feels wonderful. Not so bad right?" he grinned and ran his fingers through her hair. Moreau seemed particularly affectionate after his own snack, "What else would you like to know, pet?" She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply and inhaling his scent. "So, is Nicholas even your real name?" she asked after a moment. "What should I call you?" "It is Nicolas, without the h, but it would be said Neek-o-lah." Moreau smiled, "I'm used to Nicholas... I don't mind Neek-o-lah, occasionally he visits and whispers me stories." Moreau smirked at the nonsensical comment.

Aubrey's grin widened. "Nicolas is sexy," she said, kissing his wrist.

Moreau leaned back, "It's nice to let my guard down... and now that you are here with me things can really begin. You can help me with my goals... my true research...I'll have you to be my eyes and ears in the sunlight Aubrey." He licked the line leading up from her cleavage to her neck. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Tell me how I can help, and I will," she offered, her hands running down his arm and over his chest. "Of course... tomorrow." Moreau looked towards the wall, as if he were looking outside. "The sun rises soon, and I must sleep" He stood up and began walking towards his bedroom. "You should get some rest as well, Claude will be coming and you'll need to go with him. Since you are here now perhaps it's time for Dr. Nicholas Moreau to once again walk among Kindred society." "Can't I come with you," she asked, reaching for his hand as he walked away.

"What? In my coffin?" Moreau kept a serious look on his face, waiting for Aubrey's reaction, once he got it he would have snickered and offered his hand.

Aubrey stopped. "C...coffin?"

"For a bit puppet.. for a bit." Moreau smiled as he lead her towards his bedroom, and she got to see the oddness that was that. As he opened one door, which locked from the inside, then a few feet and another which did the same thing. The bed was elaborate, and classic, practically Victorian. The banisters were made from pure iron and she imagined the thing must have been incredibly heavy. He walked to it, undressing as he did, till he was completely naked before crawling into it. "Oh..." she chuckled... "You're fooling me..." She watched him appreciatively as he undressed, hanging back just enough to enjoy the view. But even she couldn't keep her eyes on it...she looked around the room in awe; overcome by the grandiose of it all. "What did you ever see in me?" she breathed, more to herself than pointedly at Moreau. "Oh, the bed is just for show. I do like to make sure I am very protected from the sun or potential attackers." Moreau rotated one of the banisters, as the bed separated down the middle, revealing a large opening, inside the metal of the bed there was a large cushioned surface, he offered to lower Aubrey into.

"Oh...my...god..." she started, watching the contraption open.

"The key to the apartment is on the dresser. When you do wake." Moreau slid into the inside of the bed. It was a coffin, of sorts. She hesitated as he reached up to let her in. "Will I... could I... uh, breathe?" "Don't be silly... it's not airtight." Moreau waited to help her get into the bed. "Get inside and I'll show you how it opens back up from the inside." he motioned to her again. "Oh... okay..." She slipped down onto the silky base, never having considered herself claustrophobic... but, well, she had the fear written on her face. "Yes, please show me..." she swallowed. Moreau laid down, as his hand went to rest on a small metal handle, and turned it as the bed closed Moreau inside. Then after a moment he turned it again and it reopened. "See Aubrey, perfectly safe. Unless it breaks again." Aubrey's eyes darted over to his sharply. _Again_? She took a deep breath as the bed closed above her, plunging them into complete darkness. She lied flat on her back, staring up at where she knew the ceiling was just inches away from her face. Despite being dark, and having just been fed off of recently, she found herself unable to relax. She laid there, the brevity of the situation beginning to crush her as the silence and the stillness settled in. Her uneasiness would be palatable. Moreau wrapped himself around her warm body and held her close, one of the first time's he had done. "Rest well," he said as he stroked her hair and thought of all the delicious things he was going to be able to do with his new vassal. Moreau would play the affectionate type, atleast for now, as he coaxed her dependance on him further and further stoking the fire that would make her entire world revolve around him. Just like he wanted it to.


	3. Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole Part 3

It was well into the next afternoon before Aubrey finally stirred. She rolled over, trying to hide her face from the afternoon sun that was making its way past the blackout curtains she had installed. The events of last night slowly began to trickle her way into her mind, and it was no question to her that it was real and not a dream - her muscles ached in all the right ways in all the right places. She was already smiling, until she reached over... to find only a cool empty bed. She sat up, frowning as she realized he was gone His clothes were no where to be found, and she could see form here the bathroom door was open and unoccupied. She shook her head, a bit surprised at herself. It had been...a long time for her. And he was her boss. Oh yeah...and she was going crazy. She reached for her phone and called the only number she had for him. Unsurprisingly, he got his secretary. She left a message, asking for him to call her, before dragging herself out a bed..she had a psychiatrist appointment to make. Moreau wouldn't have called her back, waiting till she showed up on Monday. Back at work, Aubrey would have found the blackouts continuing, but Moreau would have been much more affectionate with her. Occasionally making out with her and even doing things to get her off at the office. Other than that, things would continue like before, with Moreau now making an effort to show up frequently on Friday or Saturday nights, screwing her lights out, and then being gone by the time she woke up. He didn't schedule it... or warn her, or ever accept any invites to see her out of the office and her home. But during all these moments, all of Moreau's attention was focused squarely on Aubrey, there wasn't any question of that. It was about three weeks after the first time. She sat at her desk, showing up early for her shift, staring mournfully at the little brown pill bottle she was twirling in her fingers. The blackouts were still happening, though now that Moreau and Aubrey were... doing whatever they were doing, she had no real way to gauge what kind of behavior she was doing when she did black out. But even her behavior when she was aware of it was horribly out of character; and distressing to herself and her doctor. She never thought she's be that _that_ girl. Screwing her boss. Not dating. Just ... fucking. It wasn't like her. Not like her at all. But she couldn't seem to control herself. She would tell herself she would end it; tell him she wasn't interested in a physical only relationship. But everytime he would kiss her, her intentions would go out the window. Her doctor said her "acting out sexually" was probably related to whatever mental crisis she was going through. With a sigh of defeat, she opened the pill bottle and took one. Now she was _that woman_.: medicated, depressed, and horribly confused. It would be a few days of the medication before Moreau would realize what she was doing. He'd noticed a certain... offness the first few nights, but it wasn't until it had permeated her system and begun to do so to her brain chemistry that he really noticed. He felt the drugs kick around in his own system... trying to "fix" his own brain chemistry as it were. Of course it was hopeless, but the sensation distressed Moreau. So he resolved to do something about it. The next night, Aubrey would have woken up from a blackout to a toilet flushing, coming into consciousness just as she saw her pills spiraled down the drain. Holding the empty bottle in one hand and with her other hand on the handle to the toilet. Obviously... the other her didn't like the idea of the medication. Aubrey fell back, running her hand through her hair in distress. "God dammit" she cried, throwing the now empty bottle across the bathroom. Angry tears ran down her face as she stormed out the room, jotting down the time in her journal and slamming it shut. What was it? Disassociate identity disorder was rare... _too_ rare. ..not to mention Moreau seemed to think whatever was happening to her it was still Aubrey. She made the promise to herself that day she would figure out why and what was happening. ...she researched surveillance over the next few days. She bought an app to track her cel phone 24/7, and put up small cameras in her living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Every attempt to renew her prescription, however, ended in similar tragedy. Once she found herself at an open window, the bottle empty in her hands on a rainy night. Her cell phone didn't track any odd movements... and the blackouts only seemed to occur when she was at work. At least the footage and the cell phone tracking seemed to confirm that. One night, several weeks into her so-far-failed attempt at medicating herself Moreau came to Aubrey, "Aubrey... I know you've been seeing someone behind my back." She looked up suddenly from her microscope. "What?" She was surprised - though not disappointed at all - that he would even care. "No..." she insisted, standing up and reaching for his hand. "No, where did you get that idea?" Moreau threw a business card for the psychiatrist in front of her. "I thought we discussed this... I like you just the way you are," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair, bringing her into him as he breathed deep her smell. Aubrey blinked, surprised that he had gotten her doctor's information Did he grow through her purse? Spy on her? She didn't know what to say; finding it hard to concentrate with him face so close to hers. "I'm sick..." she said weakly. "I just want to know why it's happening. Aren't you concerned about me at all?" "I think you are concerned when you should be enjoying yourself." Moreau stepped around her, as he threw the card into the trash, and circled like a shark considering how to best strike it's prey. "Consider it a compliment," he continued, "The most brilliant minds in history have always been known to not be what modern science would categorize as medically sane. Do you know how they used to treat the insane... just a century ago?" Moreau looked furious. "Lock them away, lobotomize them, whatever it takes, just so they can be normal and be like everyone else." He was really going now, "You know they used to think homosexuality was a mental illness... or that women who wanted to have something as simple as an orgasm were suffering from anxiety." It was clear this was in somehow, close to him. "Do you really want to be part of the masses that think that someone is wrong and needs to be fixed just because someone thinks... _different_... or sees the world in a different way... or doesn't remember the moment when the smartest part of her takes what she wants and damned be the consequences!" Moreau sighed, his pacing around her done, his temper settling, "I'm not comfortable with this Aubrey... don't force me to make you choose. Choose _for_ me..." Aubrey stood there in surprise...she had heard Moreau go off on rants before, but this one seemed...impassioned. This really meant something to him. "Hey hey hey..." she said, reaching out for him, trying to be soothing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset..." she pleaded. "I'm just scared, Doctor. I don't like not remembering these large gaps. What am I doing? What if its dangerous." She looked up at him, gasping his hands. "What if its with you? I don't want to forget a thing." "But you wouldn't _be_ with me if it weren't for them." Moreau kissed Aubrey's hand and looked into her eyes with those odd eyes she had gotten so used to yet at the same time never could. "Trust me on this... no harm will come to you as long as we are together. Call the psychiatrist tomorrow... cancel your future appointments," he said in a tone that was both pleading, and without room for discussion, there might have been an 'or else' on there, though it wasn't spoken in so many words. "If...if it means that much to you..." she said, frowning bit. But she looked back into his eyes and smiled, squeezing his hands. "Are you coming over tonight?" she asked, hopeful. "If you promise me you are done with this..." Moreau said with a nod. "I promise," she said. And she _mostly_ meant it. She would put the doctor visits and the medication on the back burner for now, but she fully intended to keep tracking her movements and keeping her diary. And the surveillance, of course, in case she ever had another blackout at home like she did on occasion. She actually had warning he was coming over this time, for once and tried to prepare. She at least made sure she put on makeup and was wearing something more flattering than trashy weekend clothes. She finally decided against cooking, as nothing seemed to be good enough for him anyway. As if just to build her anxiety, that evening Moreau, who had not given a time per say, arrived an hour and a half later than he usually had been, give or take as it was never an exact time. He knew she'd be waiting for him, and he deftly pulled her into his arms and began their weekend as it usually began. He seemed it completely good spirits about all of it and the earlier incident was completely forgotten, as he set to the task of giving her the most wild lovemaking of her life. Aubrey had to admit she felt better without the medication. But the blackouts continued, usually at work. It was later the next week as she was sitting at her desk before her shift, staring mindlessly at her computer screen. Her eyes went up and focused on the little black square at the top. Of course. She chuckled to herself, quickly typing a few commands into her keyboard. Her desk has a webcam! Maybe, just maybe... if she got lucky she could catch at least of a glimpse at this 'other Aubrey.' At least before she wandered off to...do whatever she did around the office. _Probably Moreau_, she laughed to herself. She adjusted to the settings to have the webcam on in the background and got to work. Soon she did black out, as she often did, right before snapping back and seeing Moreau and realizing his arms were around her and she was sitting on the desk as he kissed her neck softly. "Hey," she said with a smile as soon as he jerked 'awake', running her fingers through his beautiful hair. "What was I just doing?" she asked, looking down at him. "It just happened... what am I like that you seem to find so irresistible?" "The best word I have to describe it is... tasty. " Moreau said with a smirk as he savored her blood on his tongue. Tasting the aftertaste, smooth and perfect, and without the medication just the way he liked it. He never took much from her, he didn't want to endanger her health. Of course unless he was using it frequently, like he did on their weekend... excursions, he didn't need much. As an intelligent, healthy woman, her blood was very filling. Some of the nights she felt worse than others he might have been a bit... greedy, but as long as she believed her blackouts were this alternate self, Moreau liked it just fine. Free food... and he got to see her peer on the edge of her sanity. It was quite sexy. Aubrey kissed his cheek, peering over his shoulder to see if the little, nondescript recording icon was in the tray on her screen. "Hey, I'll be in the lab in a just a minute," she said with a smile. Moreau nodded and walked away, eyeing her a bit suspiciously as he did. Aubrey was excited to have finally gotten some hard...proof of her alter ego. As she started the recording she was almost giddy...it was liking finally getting some justification. But the mood changed dramatically as she watched on; the video she saw was beyond belief: Moreau appear out of nothing behind her. There was no in between frame, one moment he wasn't there, the next he was right up on her. He rested his arm on her shoulder as she looked up at him and then went limp. Then most disturbingly... or perhaps erotically... depending on your perspective, was what happened next. As she saw fangs extend from his canines, and he bit her neck, lapping at the blood as it flowed out of her. He didn't do it for very long of course, and he licked the wound when he was done, as his tongue passed over it, it sealed up as if it was never there.

She sat there, enraptured, watching in mute horror, trying to comprehend what he could be doing...before any depraved thoughts to fill in that blank ... her world changed forever. Right there before her very eyes she saw him turn into the thing of nightmares. She didn't move except to bring her hand up to her lip. Her eyes couldn't look away, even as she felt her heart racing in her chest. "You shouldn't have done that..." she heard behind her. She screamed and spun around, nearly knocking the computer over. "Aubrey, Aubrey, Aubrey... you really shouldn't have done that." Moreau shook his head, his face was a mix of anger, with some sadness mixed in. "Of course... I suppose it's my fault too... I broke my rule... never eat at home." Moreau sat in the chair beside her, and quickly took hold of her hand. "But I liked you... cared about you even... you were intelligent... motivated... full of scientific curiosity and lacking in scruples that hold so many great scientists back. "Oh... and wonderful in bed," he said with a smirk as he talked about her in the past tense. She tried to wrest her hand away from his but his grip was iron clad. "Oh my god," she breathed, terrified. "Please, Moreau... I'm begging you. Don't do anything stupid," she pleaded, still trying to pull away. Moreau snicked, "Oh, it's me you are worried about huh? Aubrey... you don't know the half of it." Moreau shook his head, "So when I let you go... what would you do..." he narrowed his eyes with hers, "Tell me honestly Aubrey. I think the lies between us are over." Aubrey actually paused, not having thought that far ahead. "I just want answers," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. "Please. Please don't hurt me... I won't tell. I swear!" Moreau laughed a maniac look in his eyes, "Like anyone would believe you even if you did. History of mental illness and all." Moreau's demeanor changed almost instantly after he said that, becoming calm and sweet. "Oh sweet sweet Aubrey... I don't mean to be cruel... I care about you... but you just made things so so complicated for both of us." Moreau kissed her cheek softly and gently, "Do you want to know why you've made things complicated?" She swallowed. "Moreau.." she breathed, his face close to hers. "Why?" She was blinking back tears, her blood pumping hot and fast through her veins in fear. "Why would I give you gifts? Why would I pay you well? Provide you with a prestigious position. Give you nights of endless pleasure? Give you a level of access to myself that I haven't given to anyone in decades? All in exchange for a little blood?" Moreau shook his head, the look in his eyes was intense. "Typical human... it's never enough." Moreau turned and didn't even look at her face anymore, not facing her eyes anymore, as if he was ashamed of her. "Moreau..." She reached up with her free hand, touching his shoulder. "Please don't be mad at me..." she pleaded. "I just wanted to see what you liked so much about... that time. So I could do it more. I just wanted to make you happy... I'm sorry I saw what I saw." "I don't believe you are sorry for what you saw Aubrey." Moreau shook his head. "I know you too well... you and your scientific curiosity... it's one of the things that drew me to you. But what I liked about you was you Aubrey, it was always just you." Moreau stood up. "I had to tell you something to explain the blackouts... it's why I don't tend to feed on one person all the time. But you were special." "But now you've seen down the rabbit hole Alice... and made things so complicated for both of us." Moreau looked away again, considering his next course of actions, though his grip still held firm to her hand. "There isn't any going back from this Aubrey." "Are you going to kill me...?" she asked flatly, her body starting to shake. "Please, it doesn't have to be complicated. I just want honesty.." "I won't need to Aubrey... if you start talking about what you saw here... about me... if you get too close to telling the truth of things. They'll kill you, just like they'll come to kill me because you found out. Maybe even if you don't... I've suspected for some time that one of my security guards was reporting back to someone else." Moreau shook his head sadly, "Do you really think that if we exist, if we really exist, that we could keep the truth from getting out all by ourselves. Oh maybe there was a time when that was true... before my time understand." Moreau looked a bit wistful, "But now we have the Masquerade and threats to it must be eliminated." Moreau drew a line across his neck, "People more powerful than me will come after you... and end you. Then they'll come after me." She looked pale and horrified as he talked; knowing she would write him off as completely crazy if she hasn't seen what she just saw. "This can't be real," she said, her voice thin and shaken. She was calming down just enough for her logical, scientific brain to start to go into overdrive. "No... no you're fucking with me," she said, holding up an accusatory finger. "This isn't possible." "I wouldn't lie about this Aubrey... what would be the point. I just said whether you said anything or not we both might likely be dead." Moreau turned and looked at the wall. "Of course... if I killed you... kept this from ever having any chance of getting out. Then I would likely be spared. But I don't want to kill you Aubrey..." he stroked her face, and continued, "I really don't. Which brings us to answer C I suppose." Moreau began to laugh... as if he found the whole thing funny. "W...what's Option C..." she hesitantly asked. She couldn't help herself, her hand came up to touch the side of his face, marveling on, for the first time, exactly why his skin felt so cold and smooth. "How would you like to never age Aubrey? To never add a single extra wrinkle to your face. How would you like to be stronger, and faster, and more alive than you've ever been before? Notice I didn't say dead." Moreau smirked and put her hand on his chest, so she could feel and realize for the first time... no heartbeat, "And best of all... how would you like to have all those answers you are looking for, to remove the veil that you and the rest of the human race have used to hide themselves from the truth. To walk beside me and see things you've never seen before." Moreau gave a small laugh, as if he found the whole thing funny, "There are monsters in the night... lucky for them the monsters are more afraid of them than they are of us." Aubrey's mouth opened and closed a few times. "What? Nononono..." she said, backing away again, jerking her hand away from his heartbeatless chest. "I'm not going to... drink blood... or... oh god, you're serious..." "It's the only way Aubrey. I am allowed a ghoul... a servant." Moreau kissed her hand. "You'll want for nothing under my care." Moreau looked into her eyes, "Don't you see... it's the only way. That is... if I can trust you." Moreau kept looking at her, hoping she'd take this offer willingly. "What...what?" She swallowed again, watching him kiss her hand. "You want me to be you're _what_? A servant?" She shook her head. "It's not... not the only way," she insisted, the nervousness coming back into her voice. "Nothing...nothing has to change. I swear, I won't tell anyone." "What if they already know... what if that security guard down there, who may be a ghoul to one of my rivals... is already on the phone with his boss. Telling them how the insane Dr. Moreau has violated the Masquerade... _again_." Moreau shook his head, "I can't take that chance. Even if I could... we could never see each other again. Is that what you want? But this offer... it can be everything you've ever dreamed of. Access to me... all the time, no more time alone... where you feel insecure and needy. All you have to do is say yes... well part one of all you have to do." Moreau smiled at Aubrey. "Can't I... think about it..." she squeaked out. Moreau's canines extended, as he bit into his own wrist... the thick substance that came out was... reminiscent of blood, but more like it had already congealed, his unique body having changed it, no longer being the thing it once was. He put it on front of Aubrey's face, "Think. Now." _Oh. My. God..._

She blinked, eyes darting between his teeth and his wrist. This was all becoming way too real. But... her logical brain thought: _what's the worst that could happen_? _If he's just crazy, drinking a little bit of blood won't hurt you. He'll probably kill you if you don't._ She looked back up into his eyes, feeling a pulling at her heart. She had never seen him anywhere close to this level of emotional...distress? Her tongue came out and whet her lips, contemplating. It took her several moments to get the courage, finally reaching up and cradling his wrist in her hands as she leaned forward, tentatively tasting the liquid running down his ivory skin.

The liquid was _awful_ at first... thick and viscous and not at all palatable. Her brows knitted at the first taste, and for a moment her neck muscles contracted like she was going to pull away. But...

Then something strange happened, even as it rested on her tongue. Even as the taste lingered, to call it a craving or a desire would be unfair... to say that this liquid was not one of of the best things she had ever had would be a lie. She felt a rush to her head, and it was as if the whole world had exploded for her and that taste... that taste was wonderful and it had only been a small amount, and there was so much more flowing from his arm. One pull, then another. Her nails drug down his arm, pulling away just enough to look down and see the liquid trailing down his skin. She lapped it up hungrily, laving the flat of her tongue over his cool skin before attaching herself back to the wound on his wrist, sucking harder and more hungrily. All of the physical effects would not be felt immediately, it would take time for the vitae to infuse her cells. Still she felt better than she ever had before and nothing could have pulled her away from what was being so willingly offered. "I probably should have warned you though Aubrey... when I convinced you you were insane. Think of it as... preparation. Not that you didn't already have mental issues, that was one of the first things I liked about you." Moreau smirked. " But I am... Malkavian... I carry the 'Curse' of Malkov." Moreau smiled a wicked smile. "Insanity is in the blood my dear, and flowing down your throat as we speak. But you know what hides inside insanity... the truth." Aubrey wiped the blood off her chin, meeting his eyes. "You're really a... " she shook her head, she just couldn't say it. But the edge was off her voice...no longer wavering from fear. Her eyes were full of admiration and desire. She licked at his skin. "And... I'm not actually crazy?" Moreau concentrated for a moment, as his wound closed up, leaving only what was still on the surface for her to drink, as his hand had already let go of hers. He knew he wouldn't need to hold her anymore... the vitae was so addictive... even on the first taste, she'd come back for more. "Oh you had issues aplenty before I met you... even if you'd buried them so deep." Moreau stroked her hair, "But you weren't as crazy as I might have led you to believe... to protect you from the truth. But notice I used the past tense... I'm sure you can already feel something different... not just here." Moreau said as he motioned to her body. "But up here as well," he said as his fingers stroked her skull. "It's not the full blown Curse of Malkov... but the shackles of sanity are certainly going to loosen my lovely pet. "But it's okay Aubrey," He kissed her again, tasting his own blood on her lips, "We can be crazy together... and you can have more." Aubrey kissed him back passionately, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You never had to lie to me," she purred. "I would have let you drink from me willingly," she admitted. It was probably mostly true, at least after they had grown alittle closer. "You could have trusted me with all of this." "I'll hold you to that Aubrey." Moreau grinned, "But no... I couldn't... this was the price that had to be paid to let you in. I wasn't willing... or sure if I should ask that of you... yet. C'mon... we'll go back to my place." Moreau smirked, "I doubt either of us is working tonight. I'm sure you want answers." Aubrey kept hold hold of his arm if he led her. "You're place?" she asked with an excited smile, like a child who has just been told they were going to the playground. Stepping outside she paused for just a moment, letting the sensations wash over her. It was more noticeable than she had expected... a little piece of her mind still not comprehending the gravity of the situation. "You can tell me everything," she said, stepping closer to him still, almost as if she was afraid to let him go. Moreau patted Aubrey's hand, "I will my pet, I will." Moreau took her to the expensive sports car that was in the parking spot reserved for him. She noticed at first how dark the windows were tinted for the first time, as if his whole world of secrets was opening up for her when he opened the door to her side and she saw the expensive leather seats inside. Then he walked around and opened his own, as he quickly pulled out of the empty parking lot and turned onto the city street, driving atleast 20 miles over the speed limit. "What would you like to know first?" Aubrey was grinning from ear to ear, looking out the windows and watching the lights of the city zoom by. She laughed... a deep shaky laugh - the kind you laugh when recovering from stress, or after a tragedy. "What's true," she asked, looking over at him, covering her giggles with her hands. "Sunlight? Garlic? Crosses... ?" He looked over at her with a grin, momentarily removing his eyes from the road. "Should I be worried that the first thing you ask me about is what I'm vulnerable to?" "Well... the first thing you must understand is there is not just one kind of Vampire. We have clans, more of bloodlines if you will... that stretch back to the earliest of recorded histories. Some have certain... weaknesses or... flaws" Moreau grinned. "That said... I've never met or heard of a vampire who is vulnerable to garlic." He shook his head, "Crosses are a more iffy subject... a cross is useless, but true faith... the honest to goodness belief in a higher or greater power can be used against us." Moreau grinned, "Luckily, very few humans have that level of faith." Moreau kept driving, shifting gears as he picked up speed by another 10 miles in the lonely streets of the A.M. hours, "Now sunlight... sunlight is bad... very very bad. Let's just say, we don't tan... we burn. Fire in general is very dangerous to us. Vampires are what you might call... highly flammable." "I'm surprised you didn't bring up stakes," he said as the speedometer hit another 10 miles and he shifted again. She grinned back at him. "Well? Are stakes bad, too?" Her hand slipped onto his side of the car to rest on his thigh. "The immobilize... but they don't kill." Moreau looked down at his heart. "So... as far as bad goes... I suppose I'd take it over sunlight."

"We can talk about the good stuff," she purred. "How old are you?"

"As to my age... open the glove compartment." he said, nodding towards it. Inside she would have found a very old very classic looking copy of H.G. Well's 'The Island of Dr. Moreau.' signed by H.G. Wells himself. Aubrey turned the book over in her hand, running her hand down the old leather cover before opening it up to confirm the first edition she suspected it was, and saw the signature. She gave a smirk; she had read the book when she was an undergrad, and the fact that she worked for a "Doctor Moreau" hadn't escaped her. She just never brought it up because, well, she was certain Moreau had probably been hearing that since grade school: grad school at the very least. Surface fascination quickly fell away as she realized _why_ he asked her to look at it. "Oh...wait," she said, looking back over at him. "You're shitting me, you're trying to say this is about you?" "Well, Wells didn't get all of the details 100%, but it's a fun read yes." Moreau said as he let down his American accent, and for the first time in 70 years spoke with a French one. "My sire met me after the scientific communities had rejected me, but it was more than that, he met me after my ideas and some of my earlier less that successful secret research had managed to land me in the insane asylum." Moreau snickered as though it were funny then. "He said my ideas were brilliant and offered me an island... and a couple of key blood samples without which my successful work wouldn't have been possible. Plus, he got me out of the Asylum." Moreau shook his head, "Free of the asylum, I could feel the ideas ticking around in my head again, it was wonderful. Never would I allow my thoughts to be suppressed like that again," the look in Moreau's eyes was maniac again as he took the opportunity to climb the speedometer to 110. "There was one other cost... that I become his lover for a time, not that he had any true sexual desire for me, but he wanted me as arm candy around the other Kindred and he liked the feeling of taboo." Moreau smirked, "Eventually, having serviced him loyally for several years, I was embraced, and was given all the pieces I had been promise, and the island. "Which I promptly bungled, the Curse of Malkov had lead to some... bad decisions. Getting my creations to worship me as a god was among them. Believing I was actually a god... was probably another." Moreau smirked. "But it was fun. When I returned, telling my story and trying to prove what I had succeeded at doing, I wasn't taken seriously, though a fiction writer took an interest in my story and spent some time with me." Moreau grinned. "I don't think he believed a word of it... but you know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction." Moreau slipped back into his at this point more comfortable U.S. accent, "And it is my pet... _it is_." Moreau mumbled, "Ugh... Marlon Brando," under his breath. As the car shifted gears again, propelling them over 100mph, Aubrey dropped the book in her lap and began to dig her nails into the armrests' leather. She openly stared at him while he spoke, her eyes wide with a mix of fascination and a healthy dose of anxiety. There was still a part of her, one she was choosing to downplay at the moment in favor of self-preservation, that was telling her he was just...very insane. Or she was. Hell, she could be imagining the whole damn thing. Her eyes darted to the city lights speeding by on her window and she shifted in her seat. "Uh, excuse me for being ignorant of the terminology," she said after a second, digesting his story. "So... you become this vampires lover so he would free you from the asylum and he promised you this island..." she looked back down at the book and placed on her hands on it. "And he did, after he turned you in a vampire himself? But, uh..." she bit her lip, "It didn't work out."

"Yes... it didn't work out." Moreau said as he slammed on the breaks, bringing them to an abrupt stop in front of a large condominium.

She seemed to quiet down for a few minutes, lost in thought. "You shouldn't hide your accent," she mentioned, seemingly as a footnote. He stayed in the car for a moment and turned to her and smiled, "It's not hiding after a while. The Moreau family have been natural born for several generations... by which I mean me, forging records of a son and all. You pick up the accent naturally, after a while this is more natural than your native one, which is true. I consider myself American by this point." Moreau escorted Aubrey inside where there were a doorman who came across as rather... flamboyant. "Ahhh... Dr. Moreau, I see you've brought a lady friend with you," he gave Aubrey a judgmental look, clearly directed at her clothing and figure. "Will you be needing any sort of... service later in escorting her... out?" he said, his voice dripping with innuendo which knowing what she did, Aubrey could probably infer he was referring more to her body than actually her. "No Claude... she is ghoul now." Moreau looked away, as if bothered by Claude's surprise. Then an idea popped in his head as he turned back with a smile. "Tell your master I have need to settle that debt she owes me," Moreau grinned wider now, "With you." Moreau tapped his chin, "You will come for Aubrey tomorrow and for the next several weeks that follow, during the daytime hours, and help... educate her on both her manner of clothes and fashion and her other... gifts." Aubrey looked surprised Moreau would have looked down at her, "I can't have my ghoul dressing like that now can I? Not if you intend to accompany me anywhere." The flash of indigence across her eyes quickly dissipated as she realized, well, she'd be accompanying him somewhere obviously. The look of judgement from this Claude fellow wasn't lost on her either. She lifted her nose a bit and smiled, taking a hold of Moreau's arm when he informed him of their new situation.

As they passed the doorman, out of earshot, she looked around making sure no one else was around. "He's a ... ghoul, too?" She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, that term sounds like a zombie." "Get used to it... it's kinder than some other terms you may encounter as you get used to dealing with Kindred." Moreau smirked, "What we Vampires call ourselves."

She looked up at him with eager eyes. "That's what you called it, right? What I am. Not a...uh, vampire." She licked her lips, realizing this was the first time she'd actually said it - like saying it made it real somehow. "I'm not going to die or whatever if I'm in the daylight?" "No... you are not a vampire... nor are you vulnerable to sunlight... you are still very much alive. Perhaps more alive than ever." Moreau walked her towards the elevator. "Perhaps more alive than you've ever been. You may find your appetites enhanced, your senses more keen, your strength double that of any human, and your body highly resistant to disease and as long as you are provided a steady supply of 'this'..." Moreau bit his own finger lightly and offered it to her mouth to suckle on, she had never known such a craving with the sight in front of her. "You'll never age another day." He stroked Aubrey's hair, "You will learn from Claude how to heal yourself, perform amazing feats of strength or acrobatics, eventually, you may even be able to learn a trick of two of a vampire's." Aubrey licked and sucked at Moreau's finger eagerly, keeping her gaze locked on him as she listened. She couldn't help but look a bit dubious of it all. "Sounds too good to be true," she said honestly. "What's the catch?" She licked, slowly, a drop of blood that had slip down his finger. "Eternal servitude to a kindred... an addiction you will never be rid of that can only be slaked in one way." Moreau sealed the wound on his finger with a thought. "Your fate being tied to mine... if the Masquerade, the laws that keep us protected from being discovered are violated, and I am killed. There would be no reason to keep a vitae addict who knows too much alive either." The elevator opened to Moreau's penthouse. "You should feel privileged, many Kindred tell their ghouls as little as possible. It makes them less of a liability." Moreau said as he stood in front of the door to his place reaching for his key and typing in a code. Aubrey didn't want to believe it, but the craving was already starting, there was no point denying it. _He could be high on LSD_, that lingering voice in her head said. Certainly could pass the effect via blood. "How many ghouls do you have?" she asked, unable to keep a bit of a pout out of her voice. "I don't have any other ghouls." Moreau grinned though he failed to mention anymore, "Oh I've toyed with the idea of doing it to my secretary. But it was easier just to be a strange recluse who doesn't take calls during the day. Besides... as a Malkavian I'm only attracted to a... special sort." Moreau said with a grin. "You had potential sure... but until you discovered my secret I wasn't sure. Atleast now I know you are resourceful, that will serve me well." "What happened to your... uh, sire, I think you called it," she asked pointedly. "The one that made you a vampire." "Probably still in Europe." Moreau shrugged and opened the door to his place. As she was at once blown away by it's size and complexity. It had been furnished out with luxury furniture. There was a fully stocked bar opposite the large living area. Paintings adorned the wall, strange nonsensical ones, like M.C. Escher and odder ones still. Many of them looked normal at first glance, but then revealed some insane, out of place element. She'd also notice, despite the size and location, there were no windows to be found. But the paintings seemed to be placed to fill that role.

"You aren't still in contact with him?" Aubrey was still so very young, but the idea of losing contact with your ex-lover who turned you into a vampire seemed like a foreign concept to her.

"When we last saw each other there wasn't exactly cell phones and email." Moreau shrugged, "Besides, it was best to go my own way. He ended up in some trouble with an English scientist and went into hiding."

She stepped into the flat, looking around with an obvious sense of wonder. Her eyes lingered on the paintings, letting go of his arm for the first time since they left the car to look at a few of them closer.

"Tomorrow you will move out of your place and move in here, I'll pay any appropriate lease breaking fees. Oh, and sell your car as well, we'll get you something nicer." "You want me to move in with you?" she asked, sounding surprised, but neither offended or enthusiastic. Regardless of the new shift in their relationship, Moreau couldn't have made their relationship more clandestine if he tried. Now, he was asking (well, telling) he she was moving in. "Yes, it will be nice to have someone to handle my daytime affairs and help me manage the lab. I will make you an executive." Moreau stroked Aubrey's hair, "Plus the others would find it unwise to have a ghoul too far out of my sights." Moreau sat down on a comfortable chair, "As my ghoul... there are certain obligations, among them is to serve me. In exchange I share precious blood with you." He pointed between the two of them, "You do understand what this is correct?" Aubrey watched him carefully; the gears were turning in her head though she seemed to be holding her tongue on a lot of issues. "Tell me, Doctor." she asked cooly, walking over to him and slowly getting to her knees beside the chair, smirking up at him. She put one her hands on his knee, "What is this?" "I care very deeply for you Aubrey... I enjoy your company, and now that you are a ghoul I can let you into more of my life." Moreau smirked. "But also as my ghoul, you will serve me in all ways that I need." Moreau smiled to her, "I am your Kindred master, we are not equals..." Moreau grinned, "Yet." She swallowed, but her gaze or cool expression didn't waiver. Internally, there was still a battle raging in her head. The Scientist was convinced this was elaborate ploy by a clearly insane man. She was playing along with it, both enabling him and perhaps biding her time. However... there was that other part that wanted so desperately to believe it was all true. She had seen what she had seen... so best case scenario that would mean they were both utterly delusional. But for some reason, that thought didn't scare her like it did just hours ago. "Are you going to turn me into a vampire one day?" she asked, tilting her head. "I'd prefer not to say... that decision may not be up to me." Moreau said with a smile, he stroked her face. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, "But, I imagine you'll make the finest ghoul a Kindred could ask for." "I promise," she said between kisses, absolutely basking in the attention he was lavishing on her. "Can you still drink my blood if I'm your Ghoul?" she asked after several minutes. "Yes I can... and I shall. But I have the added responsibility of feeding you now too." Moreau licked her neck, "Do you want me to feed again so soon... I wouldn't want to endanger my pets life." "I trust you," she said, under the ill-advisement of her more logical side of her brain. "You don't have to if you're not, uh... hungry?" She shrugged, I guess that what you'd call it. "But... you don't have to knock me out every time now, right?" "Well... feeding you has left me... hungry as you might say." Moreau said as he licked his lips, and I do suppose you could spare a bit more for me. Moreau's fangs slid down, revealing the way in which this predator of mankind was able to conceal himself so well.

She took a sharp intake a breath as she saw his fangs- it was a much different feeling seeing them so close. An erotic excitement with a tinge of fear - - she felt his fangs plunge into her skin and she hissed in a breath. She reached up quickly tangled her fingers in his hair.

She tilted her head. "Does it hurt?"

"No Aubrey... it feels very very good." Moreau said as in a smooth motion his teeth latched on to her neck, sensations that her body experienced were completely unique for a zone that shouldn't have been endogenous sending endomorphines to her brain. As he bit down he began to suckle and lap around the wound with his tongue. Her logical brain would have told her that her nerves in her neck shouldn't have been capable of this depth of feeling. Her eyes lolled back in her head and she purred, craning her neck to give him better access. There was definitely something wrong going on here. Moreau pulled back after a moment, and with a mere lick the wound closed up, as though it were never there. He licked a drop of her blood from his lip and grinned at her. "Mmmm... that feels wonderful. Not so bad right?" he grinned and ran his fingers through her hair. Moreau seemed particularly affectionate after his own snack, "What else would you like to know, pet?" She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply and inhaling his scent. "So, is Nicholas even your real name?" she asked after a moment. "What should I call you?" "It is Nicolas, without the h, but it would be said Neek-o-lah." Moreau smiled, "I'm used to Nicholas... I don't mind Neek-o-lah, occasionally he visits and whispers me stories." Moreau smirked at the nonsensical comment.

Aubrey's grin widened. "Nicolas is sexy," she said, kissing his wrist.

Moreau leaned back, "It's nice to let my guard down... and now that you are here with me things can really begin. You can help me with my goals... my true research...I'll have you to be my eyes and ears in the sunlight Aubrey." He licked the line leading up from her cleavage to her neck. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Tell me how I can help, and I will," she offered, her hands running down his arm and over his chest. "Of course... tomorrow." Moreau looked towards the wall, as if he were looking outside. "The sun rises soon, and I must sleep" He stood up and began walking towards his bedroom. "You should get some rest as well, Claude will be coming and you'll need to go with him. Since you are here now perhaps it's time for Dr. Nicholas Moreau to once again walk among Kindred society." "Can't I come with you," she asked, reaching for his hand as he walked away.

"What? In my coffin?" Moreau kept a serious look on his face, waiting for Aubrey's reaction, once he got it he would have snickered and offered his hand.

Aubrey stopped. "C...coffin?"

"For a bit puppet.. for a bit." Moreau smiled as he lead her towards his bedroom, and she got to see the oddness that was that. As he opened one door, which locked from the inside, then a few feet and another which did the same thing. The bed was elaborate, and classic, practically Victorian. The banisters were made from pure iron and she imagined the thing must have been incredibly heavy. He walked to it, undressing as he did, till he was completely naked before crawling into it. "Oh..." she chuckled... "You're fooling me..." She watched him appreciatively as he undressed, hanging back just enough to enjoy the view. But even she couldn't keep her eyes on it...she looked around the room in awe; overcome by the grandiose of it all. "What did you ever see in me?" she breathed, more to herself than pointedly at Moreau. "Oh, the bed is just for show. I do like to make sure I am very protected from the sun or potential attackers." Moreau rotated one of the banisters, as the bed separated down the middle, revealing a large opening, inside the metal of the bed there was a large cushioned surface, he offered to lower Aubrey into.

"Oh...my...god..." she started, watching the contraption open.

"The key to the apartment is on the dresser. When you do wake." Moreau slid into the inside of the bed. It was a coffin, of sorts. She hesitated as he reached up to let her in. "Will I... could I... uh, breathe?" "Don't be silly... it's not airtight." Moreau waited to help her get into the bed. "Get inside and I'll show you how it opens back up from the inside." he motioned to her again. "Oh... okay..." She slipped down onto the silky base, never having considered herself claustrophobic... but, well, she had the fear written on her face. "Yes, please show me..." she swallowed. Moreau laid down, as his hand went to rest on a small metal handle, and turned it as the bed closed Moreau inside. Then after a moment he turned it again and it reopened. "See Aubrey, perfectly safe. Unless it breaks again." Aubrey's eyes darted over to his sharply. _Again_? She took a deep breath as the bed closed above her, plunging them into complete darkness. She lied flat on her back, staring up at where she knew the ceiling was just inches away from her face. Despite being dark, and having just been fed off of recently, she found herself unable to relax. She laid there, the brevity of the situation beginning to crush her as the silence and the stillness settled in. Her uneasiness would be palatable. Moreau wrapped himself around her warm body and held her close, one of the first time's he had done. "Rest well," he said as he stroked her hair and thought of all the delicious things he was going to be able to do with his new vassal. Moreau would play the affectionate type, atleast for now, as he coaxed her dependance on him further and further stoking the fire that would make her entire world revolve around him. Just like he wanted it to.


End file.
